From the Cold Corner

Three Lineage leaders explain how automation, nearly 100,000 pallet positions, and an integrated transportation strategy come together at its Hobart, Indiana, facility. Kelley Rodriguez, editor-in-chief of R&FF, is joined by Jim Thompson, vice president, transportation logistics, Jeff Andersen, director, regional operations, and Thomas Kalep, general manager, Lineage Hobart. ▶ Inside Lineage’s Massive, Automated Cold Storage Facility of the Year

In this special edition of From the Cold Corner, four industry experts unpack the consumer trends fueling growth across refrigerated and frozen foods—and what shifting demands around convenience, nutrition, value and flexibility mean for manufacturers and processors. Kelley Rodriguez, editor-in-chief of R&FF, is joined by Sally Lyons Wyatt, global EVP and chief advisor at Circana; Alison Bodor, president & CEO of AFFI; Kiernan Laughlin, EVP at Deep Foods and general manager of Deep Brands; and Megan Torres, brand strategy manager at Reser’s Fine Foods.

Food safety doesn’t stop at the plant walls. Fabiola Negrón, director of food safety at Registrar Corp, shares practical strategies for improving traceability, identifying gaps, strengthening supplier oversight and preparing for recalls before a crisis hits. Sponsored by Rytec

Demographic shifts and the rise of online grocery and food delivery services are driving demand for strategically located, multi-node cold storage networks. Dennis Davis, senior director of business customer development at DHL Supply Chain and Josh Lewis, president at RL Cold discuss the partnership’s plans for 5 million square feet of new space across North America.

The industry is entering a new phase where packaging design must account for the entire product lifecycle, from material selection and manufacturing to end-of-life recovery and reuse. Paige Greenberg, sustainable packaging engineer at Plastic Ingenuity, joins From the Cold Corner to discuss more.

In this episode, we're diving in to the story behind Swoop, the third place finisher in our annual Best New Retail Products contest. Meghan Dowd, co-founder of Swoop, tells us about everything from the initial concept to formulation, manufacturing, and what is next for the brand.

Teton Waters Ranch is expanding its footprint in the frozen aisle with a new line of raw burger patties that prioritize sourcing transparency, animal welfare and simplified ingredients. The product recently earned second place in Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ annual Best New Retail Products contest.

The U.S. cold storage sector is entering a new phase, as operators balance softer inventories and cautious consumer spending with rapid advances in automation, sustainability and facility design. That evolution is reshaping how temperature-controlled facilities are built — and what they are expected to do.In the final episode of the Cold Storage Deep Dive podcast series, Jennifer Jewers Bowlin and Craig Handy of Henderson Engineers discussed how flexibility and future-proofing are becoming central to cold storage development.

Rob Chambers, Americold CEO, on optimizing a global food network, deeper customer partnerships and more.

My/Mochi is proving that global inspiration, social media trends and cross-functional execution can come together quickly—and successfully—in the frozen novelty aisle. The brand’s Dubai Chocolate Style Mochi ice cream was voted the first-place winner in Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ 2026 Best New Retail Products contest. Brigette Wolf, chief marketing officer for My/Mochi joins From the Cold Corner.

After a devastating 2023 fire, the family business returns to full production with a redesigned facility focused on flow, flexibility and long-term growth. Lindsay Skilling, Gifford’s Ice Cream CEO, and JC Gifford, COO of Gifford’s Ice Cream, join From the Cold Corner to share more.

Carmen Dodaro, retired CEO and board member, and Lisa Pinion, chief human resources officer, both with FCL Builders, talk culture in cold chain operations. Sponsored by: FCL Builders

Warehouse automation provider OPEX Corporation recently announced a technology partnership with Peltier to offer a first-of-its-kind, multi-temperature zone, multi-deep cold storage solution for automated fulfillment systems. Designed to maximize operational savings via labor, space and energy, the system allows grocery and ecommerce to enhance cold chain operations without freezer infrastructure. To learn more about how this technology is disrupting temperature-controlled logistics and its potential future applications, Monty McVaugh, who leads product management for the warehouse automation business line at OPEX and Hanson Li, co-founder and CEO of Peltier, joins From the Cold Corner.

Geoff Inch, senior vice president of producer services at the Circular Action Alliance, discusses implementing EPR and what food brands should be doing now.

Food ingredients and additives are often tasked with more than just influencing taste or mouthfeel – they are increasingly a part of food safety. Garrett McCoy, senior manager, research, development & applications at Corbion, and Tushar Verma, senior scientist and team lead, food microbiology at Corbion, join From the Cold Corner to talk food safety in the cold case.

William Bigelow is the chief operating officer at Blount and recently took over as the next president of the Refrigerated Foods Association. R&FF sat down with him at the 45th annual RFA Conference to discuss his plans for leading the organization into its next chapter.

Opened in 2024, the Cold Solutions at Rush Creek team spent much of last year ramping up operation of a new multi-temperature storage facility built in a former mine outside of Kansas City. Joe Bardowski, President & Chief Operations Officer, Cold Solutions at Rush Creek, LLC and Terry Williams, chief engineer, Custom Refrigeration Solutions joins the Cold Storage Deep Dive special series to discuss more. Sponsored by: FCL Builders

When it comes to designing, engineering and building a cold storage facility, the devil is often in the details. Kort Williams and Adam Bortz joins the Cold Storage Deep Dive special series to discuss more. Sponsored by:FCL Builders

Bob Garrison, chief editor of Prepared Foods, Kelley Rodriguez, editor-in-chief of Refrigerated & Frozen Foods, and Alyse Thompson-Richards, editor-in-chief of FOOD ENGINEERING, combine their unique perspectives and discuss the biggest trends impacting the food industry in 2025 and beyond.

When it comes to designing, engineering and building a cold foods facility, sometimes the best lessons are those learned on the job! Sponsored by: FCL Builders