PE Perspectives:

Is New Always Better in Cold Storage?

A recent St. Louis Business Journal article explored the booming cold storage market and the growing trend of building brand-new refrigerated warehouses from the ground up. While there's no denying the demand for increased capacity, the article leans heavily toward new construction as the most economical option.

From my perspective as a Professional Engineer, the smarter long-term approach often involves both: building new where it makes sense, and upgrading existing facilities where it doesn’t.

We will continue to see an increase in the global square footage of refrigerated space—but that doesn’t mean starting from scratch is the best move for facility owners. For example, while we’re installing brand-new systems into freshly built spaces, we’re also retrofitting facilities that date back to the 1950s. These upgrades come at a fraction of the cost of a full rebuild—not to mention the added expense of securing new, high-visibility property along major interstates.

From an engineering standpoint, installing efficient new evaporators, condensers, and compressors into existing systems is a fairly straightforward process. And it’s not just the major components that make an impact—upgrading pumps, heat exchangers, and other equipment can significantly improve system performance.

The past few decades of research and development have transformed our ability to build highly optimized refrigeration systems. Today’s advanced control systems let us monitor loads and climate conditions in real time, offering improved efficiency with minimal disruption to operations—all without the high cost of new construction.

Want to explore upgrade options for your facility? Contact our engineering team to start the conversation.