Virginia Officials Laud WCS Logistics’ Cold Storage Expansion
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Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced a $27 million cold storage expansion by WCS Logistics along the Interstate 81 trucking corridor in Frederick County.
The company will build an 83,000-square-foot cold storage facility with the capacity for more than 13,000 pallets to meet increasing demand. It has four different locations in Virginia with over 1 million square feet of space all positioned near the I-81 trucking corridor.
“A true Virginia success story, WCS Logistics has facilitated smooth and efficient movement of perishable goods on the East Coast for more than a century to keep the supply chain moving,” Youngkin said Feb. 20. “We are proud that the company is choosing to reinvest in the commonwealth and strengthen Virginia’s logistics industry, which is a high-growth sector and a core focus of our economic development strategy.”
Peter Yates, general manager and chief operating officer at WCS Logistics, told Transport Topics, “We appreciate our partners in the trucking industry that help us serve the 3PL needs of our growing client base. We look forward to growing those relationships as we expand.”
WCS Logistics, a Winchester Cold Storage company, will invest $27 million to expand in @FredCoVA, creating over 15 new jobs. The company will build a new cold storage facility with the capacity for over 13,000 pallets to meet increasing demand. https://t.co/RPTwj22ZpU pic.twitter.com/pqowkk5ey6 — Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) (@VEDPVirginia) February 20, 2024
He said the new cold storage facility will be adjacent to the company’s 188 Brooke Road location in Winchester. The company was founded in 1917 as Winchester Cold Storage Co. In the 1960s, it was numbered among the world’s largest apple storage companies.
Yates said, “This is our second expansion in the cold storage market in the last five years, and we are excited to be able to better serve our existing customers and to offer our services to others we have not had the capacity to assist with their third-party logistics needs.”
Merrick
Caren Merrick, state secretary of commerce and trade, commended the company for providing jobs “for hardworking Virginians for more than 100 years, and we look forward to its next chapter of success in Frederick County.” The expansion is expected to add more than 15 jobs.
According to Virginia’s 2022 Transportation Plan, the I-81 freight corridor boasts the third-largest number of warehouse and distribution center facilities (numbering 685), after I-95 (which had 1,778). Occupying the top spot with the most warehouse and distribution facilities in Virginia is the east-west I-64 corridor, where 1,931 such facilities were located in 2022.
“Warehouse and distribution centers are critical nodes of freight activity and are growing in importance for all areas of the commonwealth from both the economic development and transportation infrastructure perspectives,” the state transportation plan noted.
Ludwig
Josh Ludwig, chairman at large of the Frederick County Board of Supervisors, welcomed WCS Logistics’ continued investment in Frederick County. “Increased cold storage capacity created through this expansion has the potential to positively impact existing food industries within the region,” Ludwig said.
WCS Logistics opened its most recent cold storage facility in Frederick County in 2019.
State Del. Bill Wiley said, “Winchester Cold Storage has successfully been in operation for over a century, growing to be one of the largest cold storage operators in the county. It is always nice to hear that local industries are expanding in our area, which is a testament to why Winchester is a preferred destination to work, live, and raise a family.”
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