KANSAS CITY, MO. — Vertical Cold Storage announced the opening of its latest distribution center.

The Kansas City, Mo., facility, which will provide temperature-controlled storage for food and beverage producers, spans 311,000 square feet, with the company expecting to employ more than 100 full-time employees.

“This state-of-the-art multi-modal center has the latest technologies and equipment to support our customers’ distribution needs,” said West Hutchison, president and chief executive officer of Vertical Cold Storage. “Our highly trained and experienced Kansas City team is proud to support the wide variety of needs those customers bring to us every day.”

The building will use 47,000 pallet positions, blast freezing technology, and multiple rooms convertible from 35°F to -20°F. The building design and construction used innovative materials and systems to reduce energy consumption.

Vertical Cold Storage noted the facility is adjacent to the CPKC intermodal terminal in south Kansas City, Mo., and 30 miles from BNSF, Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern terminals, allowing access to and from anywhere in North America.

“The new Vertical Cold Kansas City facility is the result of decades of experience at every level of temperature-sensitive warehouse operations and management,” said Ryan Anderson, co-president and co-founder of Platform Ventures, the real estate investment firm that sponsored the project with Vertical Cold Storage. “Clients using its services can expect a partnership that delivers a solid ROI, safe product transfers, and a fully supportive and professional staff.”

Added Hutchinson: “The Vertical Cold leadership thanks our development partners, Port KC, Platform Ventures and our team members. We couldn’t have done this without them.”