United States Cold Storage, Inc. (USCS), Voorhees, N.J., announced plans to expand its Tennessee operations by adding a new distribution and warehouse facility next to Unilever’s plant in Covington, Tenn. The public refrigerated warehouse logistics provider will invest $48 million and create 63 new jobs.

“United States Cold Storage and Unilever work together across the country, and we are all very excited to expand our growing relationship at a USCS facility that embraces automation by maximizing on efficiencies of being plant-attached to this very significant Unilever ice cream production facility,” says George Cruz, vice president and area manager for USCS. “We know that working together with the community that this project will be successful.”

The new location in Covington will serve as the third-party logistics provider for Unilever. The project will involve the construction of an estimated 315,000-square-foot cold storage warehouse and distribution facility and the purchase of new equipment and machinery.

The new facility will be constructed on 23 acres of land in Rialto Industrial Park. The two facilities will be connected by a freezer conveyor in order to move finished ice cream to the cold storage facility, which will be stored at -20°F.

Primus Builders, Woodstock, Ga., is constructing the new facility to LEED Silver certification standards. Some of the features include low-flow fixtures to reduce Tennessee water consumption, various technology solutions to reduce energy consumption by over 30% and installing reflective roofing to reduce heat in the building.

The Covington facility will be operational in December.