Cargo & Storage News South Africa

New cold storage warehouse gives Imperial clients an edge

Imperial Logistics chief business development officer, Cobus Rossouw revealed that Imperial Cold Logistics' investment in a new, state-of-the-art cold storage warehouse enables improved service levels, turnaround times and supports clients' growth strategies by meeting the demand for sought-after chilled, frozen and super frozen storage space.
Cobus Rossouw
Cobus Rossouw

The Imperial Logistics group company’s new 25,500m² warehouse was developed at a cost of R160-million. The project was undertaken by Imperial company Resolve Capacity, and was an expansive and challenging extension and retrofit of an existing ambient warehouse, Rossouw explains. Situated in Linbro Park, Johannesburg, it is now one of the largest cold storage facilities in Africa, housing 37,000 pallets, operating 24/7 and offering flexible chambers that can be used for chilled, frozen and super frozen products, depending on clients’ requirements.

“We offer both bulk (long term) and secondary (short term) storage. This effectively means that we are delivering a ‘one stop service’ to our clients, thereby minimising their concerns and enabling them to optimise their service to customers, in order to gain a competitive edge,” he states.

The warehouse

Expanding on the warehouse design, Rossouw says that it boasts six high-density storage areas, two standard racking chambers ranging from -20° to -30° Celsius and receiving and dispatch areas at either +2° or -8° Celsius. “Excellent space utilisation and high pallet density has been achieved through the use of mobile and static racking systems. The optimisation of space is crucial due to the high cost of refrigeration storage, and we can achieve 2.2 pallets per m²,” he stresses.

The facility has successfully completed the Food Safety Audit (FSA) - achieving a score in excess of 93%. This international accreditation further affirms the excellence of our food supply chain capabilities.

Imperial cold storage warehouse
Imperial cold storage warehouse

Sustainability is also a key feature of this new warehouse, and the facility incorporates numerous “green” initiatives, including water harvesting from condensation, rainwater harvesting, and a water treatment plant. “In addition, the warehouse includes a low cost and highly efficient ammonia refrigeration plant, which capitalises on ammonia’s benefits as a natural, green refrigerant gas,” Rossouw says. Low energy, high-efficiency light fittings, and occupation activated lighting also form part of the facility’s green design.

Another significant feature of the warehouse is its high-tech security system, which includes full CCTV camera surveillance throughout the facility, monitored by dedicated personnel.

This new warehouse is enabling Imperial to drive the competitiveness of client McCain, with whom a new contract encompasses the warehousing and distribution of some 190,000 tons of frozen vegetables annually, Rossouw notes. “Other Imperial clients benefiting from the new facility include poultry producer Astral; frozen dough manufacturer Goosebumps; Iqlaas Foods, which is the home of frozen foods brands Penny Wise, Pastry Pride, McBean and Florida; and Lancewood cheeses. We are delighted to be able to strengthen and expand our partnerships with our clients with the addition of this world class cold storage solution to our service offering,” Rossouw concludes.

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