Vertical Cold Storage has expanded its presence in southeast Alabama with the acquisition of a second temperature-controlled warehouse in Dothan, reinforcing its strategy of building complementary cold storage operations within established agricultural markets rather than entering new regions.
The acquisition adds a refrigerated facility operating between 34°F and 50°F to the company’s existing freezer warehouse in Dothan, broadening its temperature-controlled service offering for regional food producers. The purchase brings Vertical Cold’s nationwide network to 13 facilities and gives the company a second site in the Alabama city.
The deal follows Vertical Cold’s August 2024 acquisition of an adjacent freezer warehouse from Dothan Warehouse. That facility primarily supports poultry producers through blast freezing, frozen storage and export services. The newly acquired refrigerated warehouse has historically served regional peanut shelling operations, extending the range of agricultural sectors supported from the same logistics location.
Rather than representing a large increase in capacity, the acquisition strengthens Vertical Cold’s footprint within an existing market. Combining chilled and frozen storage at neighbouring facilities enables the company to support a wider range of temperature-controlled requirements while leveraging its established operations in Dothan.
The warehouse is served by CSX rail, providing multimodal connectivity for agricultural shipments moving beyond the region. Dothan’s position as a centre for peanut processing and poultry production makes it well suited to temperature-controlled logistics, where producers often require different storage conditions across the supply chain.
Vertical Cold said it will integrate the newly acquired warehouse into its operating platform by deploying its warehouse management system alongside standardised food safety and quality programmes. The company adopted the same approach following its acquisition of the neighbouring freezer facility in 2024, bringing that site onto its national warehouse network.
Jim Henderson, the company’s Chief Commercial Officer, said Vertical Cold intends to build on the long-standing customer relationships established by Dothan Warehouse while expanding services for regional food producers. Turner Jones, President of Dothan Warehouse, said Vertical Cold had invested in infrastructure following the previous acquisition and expressed confidence in the transition.
The company did not disclose the purchase price, warehouse size, storage capacity, employee numbers or any planned capital investment associated with the transaction.
Backed by Platform Ventures, Vertical Cold has expanded primarily through acquisitions of existing refrigerated facilities rather than greenfield developments. The Dothan transaction continues that approach by pairing refrigerated and frozen storage capabilities under a common operating platform, further strengthening the company’s position in a strategically important agricultural logistics market.