WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Idaho Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter announced today that Netherlands-based NewCold is investing $90 million to build a 140-foot-high, 25 million cubic feet sub-zero cold storage warehouse in Burley, Idaho. This will be one of the largest frozen storage facilities of its kind in the United States.
“Providing state-of-the-art, conveniently located cold storage is a critical part of keeping Idaho producers’ operating costs down and our value-added Idaho products competitive in the dynamic global market,” said Governor Otter. “This huge new addition to our food distribution chain will help keep Idaho on the leading edge of innovation when it comes to farm-to-market efficiency and delivering high-quality, Idaho-grown foods to the world.”
Idaho is home to expanding companies from the Netherlands, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Australia and Canada. Idaho’s growing sectors include agribusiness, plastics, science, research and advanced manufacturing. With almost 12 million acres of farmland and nearly 25,000 farms and ranches, Idaho’s natural resources make it the ideal location for agriculture, food manufacturers and businesses like NewCold in an interwoven supply chain.
“The economic ties between the Netherlands and the United States are strong and vibrant. These ties support 740,000 American jobs and Dutch companies like NewCold have invested more than $300 billion in the U.S.,” said Henne Schuwer, Dutch Ambassador to the United States. “NewCold’s innovation in cold storage will help Idaho maintain its reputation as a leading agricultural producer,” added Ambassador Schuwer.
NewCold developed this style of storage automation in their European operations due to increased labor, land and energy costs and customer demand for faster and more efficient storage and shipping options. This will be NewCold’s second U.S. facility. The first facility recently opened in Tacoma, Washington.
“Idaho is looking to benefit from this technologically advanced collaborative effort. They have partnered with us throughout the process and have proven to be a valuable partner in establishing our second U.S. location,” said Jonas Swarttouw, NewCold business development manager for U.S. operations. “We are excited to offer a competitive edge to existing and new Idaho food processors, and provide jobs in robotic software, systems operations, and automation in Burley.”
