Ag News
Cold storage facilities to open in North Georgia to support poultry
Posted on Oct 14, 2020 at 0:00 AM
Agile Cold Storage will invest over $60 million in the construction of two new facilities in North Georgia to support the state’s poultry industry, the company announced on Oct. 1. Agile’s new semi-automated freezer buildings will be located in Bartow and Hall counties and create approximately 170 jobs between the Cartersville and Gainesville facilities.
In Cartersville, Agile Cold Storage plans to build and own a 150,000-square-foot facility, where the company plans to create about 70 jobs.
The company also plans to build and own a 150,000-square-foot facility in Gainesville, where they plan to create approximately 100 jobs. Positions at both the Cartersville and Gainesville facilities will include warehouse management, administration, clerical, forklift operators, maintenance, and other general warehouse positions. Additional information will be posted on the company’s website at www.agilecoldstorage.com closer to the facilities’ opening dates next summer.
“As a Georgia-based company, we are very excited to make these investments and to be able to create these jobs in our home state. When we looked around the Southeast for the ideal location for these two facilities, Georgia really stood out. Georgia is home to a wide variety of food manufacturers, tremendous temperature-controlled logistics partners, and a world-class port in Savannah,” said Agile President and CEO Don Schoenl. “We appreciate the state’s interest in helping us grow and understand - from our previous experiences with various state agencies – we appreciate how committed they are to providing exceptional training and work environments for our team members.”
Agile’s state-of-the-art facility will use automation where possible to make the work environment safer and more efficient for its team members. The company’s advanced technologies reduce its environmental impact by eliminating ammonia refrigerants and decreasing energy and water consumption. Agile’s experienced management team and best practices will allow for reliable, efficient, and flexible receiving, storage, and shipping of its customers’ products. Agile’s customers’ products will satisfy demand for both the domestic and international markets. The facilities include frozen and deep freeze temperature zones to ensure products are blast frozen and maintained at the highest levels of quality in accordance with industry specifications and government regulations.
While per capita chicken consumption has doubled since 1978, Georgia’s production has tripled, and three of four Georgia counties support facilities involved in poultry and egg production. In 2018, Georgia was the top broiler producing state in the U.S. with a $4.5 billion industry. Poultry is also one of the state’s top 10 exports, and the state export receipts for the segment totaled $990.6 million in 2019. Top markets for Georgia agriculture include Canada, Mexico, Vietnam, China, and the United Kingdom.
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