RealCold Celebrates Ribbon Cutting of Lakeland, Florida Facility

Sept 10, 2025 –RealCold, an operator and provider of cold chain services for the food sector (including manufacturers, grocers, and the food service industry), celebrated the opening of its latest cold storage facility with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Polk City.  The Central Florida facility has been operational since early June, however September’s ribbon cutting event offered an opportunity to gather the RealCold team, partners, vendors, customers, and members of the community to showcase the new infrastructure. The 17 million cubic foot facility features five fully-convertible rooms offering temperatures between -20°F and 55°F, ambient storage, over 42,000 pallet positions, and is capable of handling diverse activities including DTC fulfillment for brands that sell online.  The building will serve not only as a logistics hub, but also as RealCold’s domestic headquarters.

This is the second launch of the company’s portfolio of new-builds which augment the organization’s five existing facilities across the country.  In addition to Lakeland, RealCold added a node earlier this year in Lockhart, Texas which sits between San Antonio and Austin, and has another under-construction in East Hanover, New Jersey (with a completion date scheduled for the summer of 2026).

Keith Goldsmith, Chief Executive of RealCold, stated “This has been a three-year journey from when we started land-selection, but the effort of so many people over that time has culminated in this moment. This facility is a symbol of progress-of what happens when vision meets commitment, when communities work together, and when businesses choose to build with purpose.”

RealCold’s Chief Operating Officer, James Kosann, reiterated the positive sentiment, saying “What truly makes this facility special—and what makes it worthy of serving as a showcase for this community—is the grit, tenacity, and high standards of the people that operate it. One of the critical factors in choosing this location was the access to a talented workforce, and we have assembled a team that is highly skilled, but most importantly, deeply care about the work they do and the customers they serve.”

Further commentary was added by RealCold’s Chief Commercial Officer, Marty Steinmetz.  He noted “The feedback from customers has been outstanding which has been driven by the thoughtful construction of the building. Whether it’s the 70-foot wide refrigerated dock, ample drop trailer spots, or flexible racking design, those who understand the complex needs of today’s food industry appreciate the design elements to optimize flow and increase throughput.”

About RealCold
Established in 2022, RealCold was founded to address the unmet needs of the food cold chain sector. By combining high-growth strategic locations, state-of-the-art Class A facilities, and exhaustive offerings that include traditional storage programs and diverse value-added services (including DTC), the company has positioned itself as a collaborative and integrated provider for food retailers, producers, and distributors. This mission is reinforced through its highly bespoke solutioning and customer-centric approach. The RealCold platform operates a national, omni-channel network, inclusive of a comprehensive direct-to-consumer program. The company is sponsored by Related Fund Management (RFM). For more information on RealCold, please visit www.realcold.com.

About Related Fund Management
Related Fund Management is a multi-strategy real estate investment manager that currently manages approximately $12 billion in commingled funds and separate accounts on behalf of public and private pension plans, endowments, family offices, insurance companies, and sovereign wealth funds. Since inception, RFM has invested across all portions of the capital stack and in all major real estate sectors.

CONTACT

RealCold
James Chambers
[email protected]