PRW space still growing in the USA despite signs of economic slowdown: taller buildings allow denser racking to maximize usable space and minimize energy costs. Some operators are getting into alternative refrigerants. Scattered responses to annual QFFI/IARW survey show inventories up, but turnover remains about the same.(STATE OF THE INDUSTRY)

Quick Frozen Foods International, April, 2008 by Pierce, J.J.

Build they must for a greater frozen food industry. People keep eating, and there are more mouths to feed every year. Refrigerated warehouse operators have to keep pace, and they do with new construction, expansion and renovation.

Usable freezer space at refrigerated warehouses in the United States reached almost 2.063 billion cubic feet last year, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). That was a two percent increase over 2.022 billion two years earlier, which in turn was a 2.5% gain over 1.972 billion in 2003.

Warehouse operators are evidently making better use of their space, because usable capacity has been growing faster than gross capacity, which was up only 1.3% to 2.543 billion cubic feet as of Oct 1, 2007, versus 2.501 billion...

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