Fred Boehler, President and CEO A cold chain or cool chain is a temperature-controlled supply chain. The market for cold chain services is currently exhibiting strong growth in the U.S. The cold chain market reached a value of US$ 81.2 Billion in 2018. A key factor driving the demand of the cold chain market has been a change in the dietary habits in the region. Because of rising obesity levels and increasing prevalence of lifestyle diseases, consumers are increasing their intake of proteins, vitamins, minerals, good fats, and other healthy foods to reduce their carbohydrate intake. This has catalyzed the demand for food products such as meat, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products, which are temperature-sensitive and require cold chains to be stored and transported from one place to another. The process involves a series of refrigerated storage, production, and distribution activities. Moreover, the rising numbers of clinical trials employing various temperature-sensitive materials such as blood samples, tissue samples, and certain drugs have also catalyzed the market growth of cold chain logistics.
One of the key players of cold chain is Americold, is the global leader in integrated temperature-controlled logistics solutions for the food and beverage industry from Atlanta, GA. Americold is a leading company in integrated temperature-controlled warehousing and logistics services. The company possesses the largest cold storage network with a total capacity of almost 924 million cubic feet of storage. The company’s warehouses are an integral part of the supply chain, connecting food producers, processors, distributors, and retailers to the end consumer.
Whether its clients are focused on local customer bases, regional coverage, or need national or international scale temperature-controlled logistics solutions, Americold’s scalable network and services executes the tasks seamlessly.
Leveraging technology in this age of disruption is critical for providing greater visibility into the market shifts and dynamic operating conditions
Americold possesses an unparalleled IT infrastructure to ensure that its warehouse management system (WMS) is the brains behind inventory management, planning, and electronically building order instructions for its clients. The WMS controls multiple solutions, such as automated storage and retrieval systems, automated guided vehicles, pallet moles, pallet transportation systems, lifts, and pallet wrapping, and labeling equipment. With its linked facility network, Americold is able to offer unobstructed visibility into clients’ inventory. Americold’s Warehouse Management Systems are fully integrated, meaning that clients have complete control of their supply chain and inventory through Americold’s i-3PL (integrated third-party logistics system); clients can access it on any computer, tablet, or smartphone.
“We have streamlined freight appointment process by introducing online appointment scheduling through i-3PL,” says Fred Boehler, president and CEO, Americold. Users can access 40 different reporting options, create customized alerts, place new orders or change existing entries, book pick-ups and deliveries with online appointment scheduling, and place holds on specific inventory to control their supply chain. Besides, Americold can support clients’ pallet management program if needs arise. Users can customize pallet builds, so orders are loaded sequentially for ease of use at the destination, be it a distribution center or an aisle in a grocery store. Currently, the company is optimizing its cold chain solution to counter the challenges of delivering heat sensitive products amidst global warming and the consequent rise in temperature worldwide.
