Strategic Partners
Cold Confidence
From the country’s largest frozen poultry business to the hottest meal kit makers of the moment, FREZ-n-STOR customers represent some of the industry’s most recognized brands.
Food industry favorite FREZ-n-STOR is gliding into a very chill future
For over six decades, FREZ-n-STOR has commanded cold warehousing. An industry go-to for quick freezing, handling, and storage, the award-winning enterprise has built its reputation on consistent excellence, supporting some of the largest food producers in the nation. From the country’s largest frozen poultry business to the hottest meal kit makers of the moment, FREZ-n-STOR customers represent some of the industry’s most recognized brands.
With three locations in Arkansas and Texas, the company serves producers, retailers, food service providers, and government contracted customers with a variety of cold storage offerings. From multi-temperature storage for fresh, frozen, and temperature-controlled products to blast freezing, FREZ-n-STOR can handle any comestibles that need to be kept cold. In 2023, Logistics and Transportation Review ranked the company in the top 10 of the country’s best cold storage providers.
FREZ-n-STOR’s state-of-the-art refrigeration technology is the cornerstone of their supply chain, featuring highly advanced redundant ammonia refrigeration, mechanical, and electrical systems, allowing them to maintain controlled temperature ranges from minus-5 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit.
Their capabilities include blast freezing, a FREZ-n-STOR specialty that is used throughout the industry as a preservation method that rapidly lowers the temperature of cooked or uncooked foods to lock in taste and nutrition for optimal quality. Once blast frozen, products can be moved to a standard cold freezer environment that will keep the products stable at their proper temperature for shipping.
The firm’s growing ecommerce cold storage fulfillment program includes receiving, storing inventory, processing orders, picking items, packing boxes, and integrating the customer’s shipping preference, which is typically direct to the consumer. Pick and pack cold storage is another customer favorite. FREZ-n-STOR moves, sorts, checks, and labels the products for the end user, and offers kitting services. In-person quality checks ensure accuracy throughout the process.
FREZ-n-STOR’s innovative technology allows for seamless integration with their customers and makes information on any shipment available electronically in real time. Their league leading WMS provides real time visibility of shipments, receipts, inventory, and customizable reports.
“We use state-of-the-art WMS to track all aspects of your product and inventory and utilize RF barcode scanning to provide real time data to improve efficiency, and reduce shipping and receiving errors,” said FREZ-n-STOR’s senior VP of Operations, Keith “Jack” Jackson. Jackson’s love of logistics took hold during his 13-year tenure in the U.S. Army Special Forces as an Operations Team Sergeant.
The Green Beret’s 25-plus years of logistics and ops expertise includes less-than-full load and full load transportation, cold and dry storage, warehousing, distribution, rail, temperature-controlled storage, and air freight. “My entire civilian career has been in logistics of some form,” he noted.
“What really intrigued me when I started in cold storage was learning the behind-the-scenes piece of how we handle packaged food, the fulfillment lines, storing cold/frozen palletized product, and the different food certifications. All our facilities are SFQ certified, and our Greenville facility is ISO certified.”
“We have RF scanning inside of all the buildings and that’s where the technology starts in,” he continued. “We actually give customers their own login information so they can go and see their inventory in real time.”
As soon as pallets arrive at a FREZ-n-STOR warehouse they are processed and given a bin location where a customer can see where their product or component is located and how it’s being handled. This visibility is a significant selling point for new customers and prospects.
The firm is in the midst of a number of modernization efforts, including installing autonomous forklifts in their Springdale, Ark., facility. Efforts are underway to automate their fulfillment operation and are taking their moves with great care. As Jackson put it, “We’re slowly moving into the automation phase of our business, and that’s a good thing.”
In-house SQL developers are creating FREZ-n-STOR’s customized reporting and data management. Additionally, every FREZ-n-STOR facility is monitored with an IP-based surveillance system that can be accessed by approved customers with internet connectivity. Third-party monitoring services monitor for burglary, temperature, ammonia, and fire. “At FREZ-n-STOR, your data is always protected in our secure networks. All employees go through background checks and all facilities are inspected by third-party audits.”
Jackson oversees about 300-400 employees, including the company’s trio of general managers for the three facilities. Since joining the firm in 2022, Jackson has worn a number of hats, such as working in marketing and sales as well as operations.
“We wear a lot of hats, no doubt,” he concurred. “The good part about that is that we can make customer decisions on the spot without going through several permission layers. If I can do something operationally, I don’t have to call an operations guy. I can answer questions from the ops side to the sales side. I can create the contract and set the price right there on the call.”
He confessed that the most important things he thinks about on his daily commute are getting to work safely and taking care of his home and work families. “I want to make sure that my day-to-day decisions help people prosper within our work network as well as at home,” he shared. “When I was in the military, we were a family. We took care of each other’s lives. That drive to care for people’s lives through making the best decisions followed me out of the service.”
What didn’t follow him was the military management system with its voluminous layers. “What I really like about FREZ-n-STOR is that when we say we’re going to do something, WE DO IT! It doesn’t take us long to make simple decisions. We can make things happen that other companies can’t do, and you don’t get an automated response on the phone. You can pick up the phone and speak with the person who will make the decision happen.”
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FREZ-n-STOR, Inc. is a commercial cold storage warehouse that provides quick freezing, handling and storage for the food industry. With genuine concern for the product, our customers and the consumer, FREZ-n-STOR employees are committed to job excellence, ensuring the highest level of service and integrity in all areas of the frozen food chain.
Here at FREZ-n-STOR a live person will be assigned to your account to manage and grow it. They will be your point of contact for anything that may come up concerning your account. Our success comes from our customers and associates. We strive to make every interaction with our company your best experience!
At FREZ-n-STOR, Inc. we’re going to do what’s RIGHT for our customers, employees, and end user – PERIOD!
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Corporate Office
610 Porter Avenue
Springdale, AR 72764
Phone Number: 479.750.3298
Fax Number: 479.751.3405
Email: jack.jackson@fnscoldtx.com
Homepage Link: https://www.fnscold.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FrezNStor/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/frez-n-stor-inc.
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