KANSAS CITY, MO. — Vertical Cold Storage announced on July 9 that it entered into a purchase agreement for a frozen distribution center from Dothan Warehouse in Dothan, Ala. This will be the company’s 10th facility in its network. 

The Alabama facility focuses on poultry for export markets and is located close to several interstate highways. Vertical Cold Storage stated that the facility enables the company to deliver to the ports of Jacksonville, Fla., Mobile, Ala., New Orleans, La., Panama City, Fla., and Savannah, Ga., in less than one day. 

The Dothan operation employs 40 full-time employees. Vertical Cold Storage expects to close on the acquisition in August.

“This latest acquisition shows our commitment to the protein industry and to building a nationwide network of high-performance frozen and refrigerated warehouses,” said West Hutchison, president and chief executive officer of Vertical Cold Storage. “We look forward to supporting the many great processers and retailers in the region, and to welcoming the Dothan team members on board.”

The USDA-certified Dothan facility sits at more than 109,000 square feet with 10 dock doors.

The warehouse opened in April 2019 and was expanded in January 2023. It can hold a wide range of frozen foods and features high-capacity blast freezing, export services, case picking, cross-docking, and kitting capabilities.

“We’re confident that Vertical Cold Storage will carry forward the success of our frozen distribution center,” said Turner Jones, president of Dothan Warehouse. “We trust West and his team to take great care of our customers and employees, just like we’ve always done. This move means our facility will keep growing and improving, and that’s really important to us.”

In November 2023, Vertical Cold Storage broke ground on a new distribution facility, which was scheduled to be operational by the end of 2024.