# Americold

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Published: 2026-11-02T20:02:29.618Z
Last updated: 2026-11-02T20:30:41.698Z
Category: Warehousing

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## Overview

**Americold Realty Trust, Inc.**, commonly known as **Americold**, is a publicly traded real estate investment trust and logistics company specializing in temperature-controlled warehouses. Its common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker [COLD](https://www.nyse.com/quote/XNYS:COLD). Its facilities support the storage and movement of refrigerated and frozen products, particularly food. The company operates an international network serving customers at different stages of the food supply chain.

Americold combines ownership and operation of cold-storage real estate with warehouse and transportation-related services. Its [corporate website](https://www.americold.com/) describes its logistics business, while its [SEC filings](https://www.sec.gov/edgar/browse/?CIK=1455863) provide financial statements and disclosures about operations and risks.

## History

Americold’s business developed through the combination and expansion of temperature-controlled warehouse operations. In January 2018, Americold Realty Trust completed an initial public offering and listed on the NYSE, giving investors access to a publicly traded business focused on cold-storage infrastructure. Its [SEC filing history](https://www.sec.gov/edgar/browse/?CIK=1455863) and [NYSE listing](https://www.nyse.com/quote/XNYS:COLD) document the public company’s subsequent development.

In 2020, Americold expanded through acquisitions, including the [purchase of the cold-storage operator Agro Merchants Group](https://ir.americold.com/). Acquisitions and facility development have been important means of adding locations and capacity, although the composition of the network changes over time. The company’s [investor relations site](https://ir.americold.com/) provides reports and announcements on its corporate history and financial performance; current facility counts and geographic coverage should be taken from the latest report rather than from older announcements.

## Products and services

### Temperature-controlled warehousing

Americold provides refrigerated and frozen storage for customers that need to hold products within specified temperature ranges. Warehouse services can include receiving, pallet storage, inventory handling, order preparation and shipping. Customers should confirm the temperature zones, handling capabilities and available capacity at each proposed facility; capabilities and contractual arrangements can differ by site.

For covered food operations in the United States, the [FDA’s warehousing and distribution requirements](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-117/subpart-B/section-117.93) address storage and transportation conditions that protect food against contamination and deterioration. Customers should establish product-specific requirements with the operator rather than assume that one temperature setting suits every product.

### Transportation and related services

Americold also offers transportation-related and other supply chain services, complementing its warehouse operations. Depending on the arrangement, these services can help customers coordinate the movement of goods between production facilities, storage sites and distribution destinations. The company describes its [temperature-controlled logistics services](https://www.americold.com/) on its corporate site, and its [filings](https://www.sec.gov/edgar/browse/?CIK=1455863) explain how it reports its business activities.

## Role in logistics and supply chains

Cold-storage warehouses buffer differences between the timing of production and consumption. For example, a frozen-food manufacturer may send pallets to a temperature-controlled warehouse after production, then release orders as retailers require replenishment. The operator must coordinate space, product identification, temperature control and outbound appointments to maintain product integrity.

Cold storage is only one link in the cold chain. Shippers and carriers must also manage loading, transit and unloading conditions. In the United States, the FDA’s [sanitary transportation rule](https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma/fsma-final-rule-sanitary-transportation-human-and-animal-food) establishes requirements for covered parties and operations, including measures intended to prevent food from becoming unsafe during transportation. The applicable responsibilities depend on the parties’ roles and the circumstances of the shipment.

As a practical handoff, a shipper can specify the required transit temperature, agree on who monitors it and define how an excursion is reported and investigated. These arrangements should reflect the parties’ applicable responsibilities under the [sanitary transportation rule](https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma/fsma-final-rule-sanitary-transportation-human-and-animal-food).

## Industries served

Americold primarily serves the food supply chain, including food manufacturers, distributors, retailers and food-service businesses. These customers may have different storage and handling needs: a producer may require bulk frozen storage, while a distributor may need products assembled into orders for multiple destinations. Americold describes its [customer-facing logistics network](https://www.americold.com/) and provides further business information through its [investor disclosures](https://ir.americold.com/).

For logistics managers, the relevant distinction is not simply industry but product requirement. Temperature range, shelf life, packaging, lot identification and throughput all affect whether a particular facility and service arrangement are suitable.

## Operating requirements and limitations

Temperature-controlled warehousing is resource-intensive. Refrigeration, labor, maintenance and facility utilization influence operating costs, while seasonal demand can change the amount of space customers need. Americold discusses business, financial and operational risks in its [SEC filings](https://www.sec.gov/edgar/browse/?CIK=1455863); these should be consulted for current, company-specific disclosures rather than treating industry risks as evidence of a particular incident.

Customers should also consider food safety and traceability requirements. The FDA’s [food traceability rule](https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma/fsma-final-rule-requirements-additional-traceability-records-certain-foods) establishes additional recordkeeping requirements for certain foods and covered activities. Whether a particular shipment or warehouse activity is covered depends on the rule’s scope, applicable exemptions and current compliance dates.

The FDA’s [preventive controls rule for human food](https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma/fsma-final-rule-preventive-controls-human-food) applies to covered facilities subject to its requirements, with modified requirements or exemptions in certain circumstances. Customers should determine which obligations apply to each party and facility rather than assume that a warehouse contract transfers all food-safety responsibilities.

## Considerations for customers

When evaluating Americold or another cold-storage provider, supply chain managers should assess:

- **Facility fit:** Confirm location, temperature range, available capacity, dock access and suitability for the product.
- **Inventory controls:** Agree on lot identification, stock rotation, inventory reporting and procedures for discrepancies or recalls. Test how the parties would identify and hold an affected lot.
- **Service commitments:** Define receiving and shipping windows, order accuracy expectations, temperature-monitoring procedures and escalation responsibilities. Specify how readings and exceptions will be shared.
- **Total cost:** Review storage, handling, transportation and accessorial charges together; contract terms and pricing must be confirmed with the provider.
- **Continuity:** Discuss contingency arrangements for equipment failure, power disruption and exceptional demand, including notification and recovery responsibilities.

These checks complement review of the provider’s [service information](https://www.americold.com/) and, where relevant, its [public risk disclosures](https://www.sec.gov/edgar/browse/?CIK=1455863).


## Source links

- [Americold Corporate Website](<https://www.americold.com/>)
- [Americold Realty Trust, Inc. SEC Filings](<https://www.sec.gov/edgar/browse/?CIK=1455863>)
- [Americold Investor Relations](<https://ir.americold.com/>)
- [FDA: Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food](<https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma/fsma-final-rule-sanitary-transportation-human-and-animal-food>)
- [FDA: Requirements for Additional Traceability Records for Certain Foods](<https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma/fsma-final-rule-requirements-additional-traceability-records-certain-foods>)
- [21 CFR § 117.93: Warehousing and distribution](<https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-117/subpart-B/section-117.93>)
- [FSMA Final Rule for Preventive Controls for Human Food](<https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma/fsma-final-rule-preventive-controls-human-food>)
- [New York Stock Exchange: Americold Realty Trust, Inc. (COLD)](<https://www.nyse.com/quote/XNYS:COLD>)