ARCO National Construction recently completed a 207,285 SF cold storage facility for Cypress Cold Storage, a provider of temperature-controlled warehouse space and value-added services for the food sector. Located in Springdale, Arkansas, the state-of-the-art facility features cutting-edge refrigeration and freezing technology and offers customers end-to-end flexible cold storage solutions.

Design Flexibility & Space Optimization

ARCO worked closely with Cypress Cold Storage to maximize square footage and overall building efficiency, redesigning their original concept layout and decreasing the overall square footage by 15,000 square feet. Despite the reduction in size, the optimized design increased pallet capacity and provided Cypress Cold Storage with significant cost savings.

Additionally, the facility features multiple flexible and space maximization features, such as multiple convertible freezers capable of accommodating temperatures ranging from -12°F – 28°F and max density racking for a total of over 22,000 pallet positions. The building’s finish floor height was also established to allow for future rail docks in one of the convertible freezer spaces, allowing Cypress Cold Storage to quickly react to changing distribution channels.

The facility also features a central ammonia refrigeration system with roof-mounted penthouses and a prefabricated engine room enclosure, allowing Cypress Cold Storage to save valuable floor space.

Blast Freezing Capabilities

The facility features a blast freezing portion with in-rack freezing capable of handling 252 pallet positions. This advanced quick freeze technology enables Cypress Cold Storage to expedite freezing processes significantly — bringing product from 35°F to 0°F in 24 to 48 hours — while optimizing energy consumption.

This technology enables Cypress Cold Storage to expedite freezing processes significantly and is more operationally efficient compared to traditional blast cells.

ARCO successfully coordinated the construction and installation of the blast freezing capabilities during the initial phases of the project. This allowed for a streamlined building design to integrate the technology seamlessly and a strategic sequencing plan to avoid potential schedule delays.