United States Cold Storage broke ground Sept. 6 on a new $124 million cold storage facility in Lake County.
The location off I-65 in Hebron is expected to create 60 jobs by the end of 2028. Construction of the 13.58 million-cubic-foot public refrigerated warehouse is scheduled for completion in May 2025. It will sit on 70 of the 110 acres of the site. The remaining 40 acres are reserved for a potential customer to build a production facility.
“This is an exciting day for Lake County and for Indiana as we celebrate the impact of the READI program and our commitment to economic and community development,” said Indiana Secretary of Commerce David Rosenberg in a press release. “USCS’s decision to establish a second facility in Indiana reflects the company’s confidence in our skilled Hoosier workforce and in the northwest Indiana community.”
The other facility in Lebanon has 11.5 million cubic feet of cold space.
“This Northwest Indiana location is strategically located in a key market for USCS and will offer additional capacity in the Chicagoland area providing the necessary space for the growth of our current customers as well as Best-In-Cold service to new customers,” said Adam Ashley, general manager at USCS. “In partnership with our Lebanon, Indiana, location and our Chicago-area warehouses, we can offer customers coordinated, less-than-truckload distribution savings and help them reach 48 states within the U.S.”
The Indiana Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative supported the development. Stakeholders in the Region through the Northwest Indiana Forum Foundation are investing more than $125 million to make infrastructure upgrades to Colorado Street, which leads to the new warehouse. READI funds for the improvements to accommodate increased traffic total $940,000.
“We will continue to work with landowners and developers to identify projects that fit our county and create new family-sustaining jobs; this is a great first start,” said Lake County District Councilman Randy Neimeyer, who indicated he will make sure that growth and development along the I-65 Route 2 corridor is sustainable.
The Indiana Economic Development Corp. and USCS are negotiating to finalize performance-based incentives to support the company’s investment and job creation plans in Indiana. Lake County plans to offer other incentives.
The company plans to power the Lake County warehouse with 100% renewable energy by installing a solar array.
New Jersey-based USCS manages more than 411 million cubic feet of temperature-controlled warehouse and distribution space in 42 facilities throughout the U.S. It employs more than 3,500 people.
Caption: United States Cold Storage's facility in Lebanon, Indiana, has 11.5 million cubic feed of cold space. (Provided by USCS)
