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Food Logistics honored Viking Cold’s Thermal Energy Storage (TES) technology with the Top 3PL & Cold Storage Provider award for 2024! This award recognizes industry leading third-party logistics and cold storage providers in the cold food and beverage industry. Our TES technology was highlighted for making the world’s refrigeration and cold storage systems more efficient, flexible, resilient, and sustainable. With TES technology, cold storage operators can increase refrigeration system efficiency by 20-30% and cut energy costs up to 50% while better protecting products. Maintaining consistent temperature control, despite mechanical issues, grid interruptions or natural disasters, is critical for preserving product quality and safety. Our TES systems integrate easily and have been installed in commercial and industrial frozen food warehouses and distribution centers around the world. “3PLs and cold storage providers remain a key puzzle piece to building and nurturing partnerships, cultivating resilience and helping companies in the cold food space overcome supply chain disruptions,” says Marina Mayer, Editor-in-Chief of Food Logistics and Supply & Demand Chain Executive. “Seventy-six percent of the winners plan to invest in software solutions this year. This is indicative of how forward-thinking these 3PLs and cold storage providers are, and how despite disruptions and other challenges, they continue to forge ahead.” Food manufacturers, 3PLs, supermarkets, and restaurants adoption of Thermal Energy Storage technology is helping the broader food industry decarbonize today. By leveraging TES, these businesses reduce energy usage, lower their carbon footprint, and more efficiently store renewable energy. Viking Cold Solutions provides innovative technology to support a more sustainable and resilient cold chain. To see how we can help optimize your facility, check out cold storage benefits of TES. For more information on Thermal Energy Storage contact sales@vikingcold.com.

Left to right: Jen Szaro, James Bell, Rebecca Troutfetter Viking Cold Solutions is recognized by the Association of Energy Services Professionals’ (AESP) inaugural Innovations in Demand Flexibility award today at their annual conference in San Antonio, Texas.  The award was received by James Bell, Viking Cold Solutions’ President and CEO, and presented by Jen Szaro, President & CEO of AESP, and Rebecca Troutfetter, Vice President of Engineering & Corporate Impact at CLEAResults. AESP, a leading industry trade group advancing the energy industry, introduced the Innovations in Demand Flexibility award this year.  This competition for the award spanned various demand flexibility programs, such as renewable energy projects, distributed energy resource programs, demand response initiatives, microgrids, decarbonization efforts, and electrification programs. Viking Cold Solutions' Thermal Energy Storage (TES) technology consistently achieves positive impacts on business operations, the electricity grid, and the environment.  Beyond its energy demand management and electrical efficiency achievements, TES helps address critical issues like food waste and food insecurity by better preserving food quality while also conserving electricity.  Additionally, TES's unique ability to store and more efficiently utilize renewable energy assists with efforts to accelerate the decarbonization of the power grid, contributing to a more sustainable energy landscape.  Viking Cold Solutions monitors all sites 24/7/365 to ensure clients’ peace of mind, and all parties can view performance metrics and historical data through the cloud-based portal. Some examples of demand flexibility and efficiency include the deployment of Viking Cold’s innovative energy technology in regional food banks from coast to coast which resulted in quantifiable and meaningful positive impacts.  By reducing energy costs, TES technology provides hundreds of thousands of additional meals to Americans suffering from food insecurity. This further demonstrates Viking Cold's commitment to addressing energy and environmental challenges while creating a positive economic and social impact through practical local initiatives. Viking Cold Solutions builds lasting partnerships with our clients and stays engaged throughout the life of facilities with ongoing data collection, optimization initiatives, and utility incentive programs.  Through these initiatives, TES technology has saved over 44 million kWh of electricity, avoided over 34 thousand tons of GHG emissions, and earned millions of dollars in incentives for our clients. For further details on the AESP Energy Awards, please visit AESP. To learn more about Viking Cold's technology and how it can reduce energy consumption to enhance the sustainability of cold storage facilities, reach out to Viking Cold today!

In recent years the popularity of frozen food has steadily increased in the United States.  However, during the pandemic, frozen food experienced a surge in demand.  The Food Institute reports that frozen food sales increased by 21%, with the pandemic serving as a major contributing factor to this growth.  The pandemic-induced lockdowns and social distancing measures led to significant changes in people's eating habits, and many turned to frozen foods for their convenience, long shelf life, nutritional value, and ability to be stored in bulk. Source: Quartz Despite a steady increase in dollar sales, unit sales of frozen food fell in 2021 and 2022 by 3.2% and 5.1%, respectively, highlighting the potential impact of inflation on frozen food costs, reported the Food & Beverage Insider.  Notwithstanding these declines, unit sales are still higher than they were before the pandemic, demonstrating that the demand for frozen foods remains strong – in part thanks to millennials who have now become frozen food’s largest consumers. According to the Food Navigator, older millennial shoppers, who are approaching the age of 40, represent 48% of the consumers of frozen foods.  This generation prioritizes health and wellness and values a wider range of culinary options that use premium ingredients with fewer additives and preservatives.  Alongside nutrition, they also demand convenience and sustainability in their food choices.  With over 3,700 options in the frozen food section, there is something for every taste and lifestyle, notes the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association. The growing popularity of frozen food has led 29% of consumers to expand their freezer space since the pandemic began, reported the American Frozen Food Institute.  As demand for frozen food products increases, retailers are seeking ways to optimize their freezer sections while also reducing energy consumption for higher quality and more efficient frozen food storage.  Companies like Viking Cold Solutions are helping retailers and distributors to not only improve the efficiency of their cold storage system by up to 50% but also increase facility resiliency.  These advancements indicate a promising and sustainable future for frozen food. With all the demands on consumers’ lives, the greater convenience and quality of frozen foods meet a growing priority.  The frozen food industry now has innovative new technologies to sustainably address consumers’ needs while reducing energy costs.  Given the challenges of inflation and an unstable economy, it will be interesting to observe the further developments of frozen foods and cold storage technologies over the next few years. Learn more about Viking Cold’s sustainable Thermal Energy Storage technology here.