Americold
| Company type | Public real estate investment trust (REIT) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Temperature-controlled warehousing and transportation |
| Predecessor | Atlanta Ice and Coal Company, Atlantic Ice and Coal, Atlantic Company, Atlantic-Munford, Jackson Atlantic, United Refrigerated Services, Versacold, Agromerchants |
| Founder | Ernest Woodruff (founder of Atlanta Ice and Coal Company) |
| Headquarters | Atlanta , United States |
Area served | United States, Australia, New Zealand, China, Argentina, Canada |
| Products | Temperature-controlled warehousing and distribution services; value-added services including blast freezing, pick-and-pack, labeling/relabeling, repacking, kitting, staging, cross-docking, sloughing/tempering, light assembly, food processing |
Americold Realty Trust, Inc. is a U.S.-based enterprise specializing in temperature-controlled warehousing and transportation, with its headquarters situated in Atlanta, Georgia. Focused on state-of-the-art commercial cold storage solutions for perishable items, Americold holds the position of the world's second-largest operator in temperature-controlled warehousing and distribution services.
History
The inception of cold storage enterprises coincided with the rise of ice-based methods for preserving food. In 1922, Clarence Birdseye revolutionized frozen food by inventing rapid freezing (blast freezing), inspired by traditional Inuit techniques.
Americold’s foundation can be traced to early 20th-century ice and coal businesses, progressing through a series of mergers involving entities such as Atlanta Ice and Coal Company, Atlanta City Brewing Company (which later became Atlanta Brewing and Ice Company), Versacold, Munford, Jackson Atlantic, United Refrigerated Services, Atlas Cold Storage, among others.
In 1903, Ernest Woodruff merged three separate cold storage warehouses to establish Atlanta Ice and Coal Company. The firm was renamed Atlantic Ice and Coal in 1909 during a larger consolidation movement among eastern ice and coal companies. Woodruff also made a significant acquisition of the Coca-Cola Company in 1919 for $25 million.
By 1935, Atlantic Ice & Coal had transformed into Atlantic Company, broadening its operations to include both cold storage and beer manufacturing—the latter accounting for nearly half of the company’s revenue at its peak. The business also ventured into ice convenience stores under the EZ stores brand prior to the widespread adoption of refrigerators and operated fast food outlets branded Wishbone Fried Chicken.
The Atlantic Company merged with Munford Do it Yourself stores to form Atlantic-Munford, which accelerated the expansion of convenience stores. Later mergers with Jackson Minit Market and Handy Andy resulted in the creation of Jackson Atlantic, which managed 40 warehouses across the country. Going public in 1968, the company subsequently merged with United Refrigerated Services with the goal of establishing the largest cold storage network in the United States.
Returning its base to Atlanta in the early 1980s, the company continued its acquisition strategy through the 1980s and 1990s before adopting the Americold name in 1997.
In 2010, Americold expanded significantly by acquiring Versacold, elevating it to the largest provider globally of temperature-controlled warehousing and distribution services. The purchase of Agromerchants in 2020 further reinforced its standing as the world’s fourth-largest temperature-controlled warehousing company.
Services
Americold delivers comprehensive temperature-controlled warehousing paired with consolidation and multi-vendor transportation solutions. Its value-added offerings complement core warehousing and distribution functions and include blast freezing, pick-and-pack operations, labeling and relabeling, repacking, kitting, staging, cross-docking, sloughing/tempering, light assembly, and food processing. The company manages more than 245 temperature-controlled facilities encompassing over one billion cubic feet of storage space across locations in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, China, Argentina, and Canada. These sites facilitate supply chains connecting food manufacturers, processors, distributors, retailers, and end consumers.
Organization
Americold operates more than 245 facilities across the globe and functions as a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) that focuses on temperature-sensitive storage solutions. Additionally, the company manages a quarry located in Carthage Underground, where it leverages both the extracted stone and the underground caverns to create refrigerated storage environments.
See also
External links
- Articles with short description
- Companies with year of establishment missing
- Companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange
- Transportation companies of the United States
- Companies based in Atlanta
- Warehouses in the United States
- Transportation companies based in Georgia (U.S. state)
- Real estate investment trusts of the United States