Gov. Brian Kemp announced on Monday that NewCold, a world leader in automated and cold storage, will be building a large-scale distribution facility in McDonough, Henry County. The facility will create 170 jobs and is a $333 million investment. The project represents the largest single-investment by a business in Henry County.
“All across Georgia, communities are celebrating record-breaking jobs and investment,” said Kemp. “As the number one state to do business for an unprecedented nine years, we’re attracting the types of jobs and opportunities that benefit families and their neighborhoods for generations. We’ll continue to recruit diverse industries that build on each other’s strengths so that we remain a destination state for job creators for years to come.”
NewCold was founded and is headquartered in the Netherlands, with Chicago as their North American base. They now operate in nine countries, partnering with some of the world’s largest food companies to make the industry possible. They specialize in automated warehousing, as well as energy efficiency and sustainability.
“It is very exciting to see our rapid growth in North America as we continue to build long-term strategic relationships with our customers, built on mutual trust. We are dedicated to food safety and integrity,” said Bram Hage, Founder and CEO of NewCold. “Our robust expansion includes the delivery of multiple new capital projects, as we continue developing large-scale automated facilities across Europe, Australia and North America. Our momentum confirms a very positive future for our customers and an innovation boost for the industry.”
The move continues to highlight Georgia as one of the leading logistics hubs in the U.S., and particularly food logistics where the state has more than 189 million cubic feet of cold storage space. Companies located in the Peach State have access to 80 percent of U.S. markets within two days on the road, and a mere few hours by plane.
“We wholeheartedly agree with the Governor’s assessment of the outstanding growth in this region and we’re very happy to begin contributing to it,” said Jonas Swarttouw, Vice President, Customer & Business Development for NewCold in North America. “Along with our customers and partners, we share an ambition to transform the logistics industry and reimagine the global food supply chain. Linking state-of-the-art warehouse automation systems and a passionate, dedicated staff, NewCold supports communities in their efforts to foster economic growth and create high-quality employment opportunities.”
All that storage space means jobs for truck drivers, truck mechanics, gas stations, convenience stores and restaurants. The jobs that come with a warehouse of this size are not limited to the investment by NewCold but it can act as somewhat of an anchor for Henry County for decades to come.
“Henry County is excited to welcome NewCold to our community,” said Henry County Board of Commissioners Chair Carlotta Harrell. “This project will represent the largest single investment in Henry County’s history by a business. This new automated facility will bring jobs not only in logistics, but mechatronics and robotics, which are two key sectors in Henry County Schools’ recent STEM development efforts for our students.”
