– Photo courtesy of Boone EDC
United States Cold Storage, Inc. announced the expected completion of a 107,200 square-foot addition to its Lebanon public refrigerated warehouse by spring 2025 to continue its operations in the Indiana markets with a new seafood partner.
The business will partner with Gorton’s Seafood to construct its own attached seafood processing facility, which is expected to open in late 2025 to employ as many as 160 people in Lebanon. United States Cold Storage Executive Vice President David Butterfield elaborated on the business’ decision to expand its facility in Indiana.
“We set a goal to be strategic provider and build long-term production support capabilities with specific customers to our portfolio,” Butterfield said. “Today is just one wonderful step in fulfilling that goal. Gorton’s and USCS have a 40-year relationship of working together as a distribution network and this greatly enhances that relationship in everything from raw material management to delivering of finished goods. It has been a great collaboration of efforts from both groups to truly create and design a state-of-the-art production facility with an automated warehouse to support all Gorton’s functions.”
Gorton’s Seafood CEO Kurt Hogan elaborated on the company’s decision to partner with United States Cold Storage to bring its operations to Indiana with employment opportunities becoming available for Hoosiers in the area.
“This year marks 175 years of Gorton’s spreading the goodness of the sea to households across America, so it’s fitting that in 2024 we can share this incredibly exciting news,” Hogan said. “Our investment in this new facility, in partnership with US Cold, will allow us to continue our mission of making quality seafood accessible to everyone.”
Hogan stated that Gorton’s facility in Gloucester, Massachusetts, will continue to serve as the company’s primary production hub while the new Lebanon facility is expected to driver further growth with additional production capabilities and distribution efficiencies.
Chief Strategy Officer at the Indiana Economic Development Corporation Ann Lathrop commented about the impact the addition in Lebanon will have for the economic development opportunities across Indiana.
“We are excited to welcome Gorton’s Seafood to Indiana and are confident they will find success here in partnership with United States Cold Storage,” Lathrop said. “United States Cold Storage is advancing the state’s reputation as a logistics leader, helping manufacturers deliver essential products–from food to cars to life-saving medicines–to customers across the country and around the world.”
United States Cold Storage Area Director-Midwest Adam Ashley commented about how the two companies have been in talks of the expansion and the attached-plant proposition for nearly two years prior to the most recent celebration and announcement.
“After a facility tour–and considering Lebanon’s location, land availability and our nationwide ColdShare Consolidation, less-than-truckload shipping, program–we knew that USCS Lebanon is the right place. Gorton’s has been a key partner for more than 40 years, and this demonstrates the strength of that partnership.”
The new expansion will include a warehouse addition with 15,100 pallet positions of freezer storage and 2,400 pallets of dry storage. The expansion will feature automated, very-narrow-aisle turret trucks that pass into and out of storage areas. Ingedients and materials will be stored at the existing facility and transferred to Gorton’s as needed, and Gorton’s will ship finished goods to the Lebanon location via conveyor where turret trucks will take and place finished goods in storage.