NewCold brings industry leaders together in Bucharest as it builds for the future of food logistics in Romania

BUCHAREST, Romania, October 29, 2026 – NewCold welcomed customers, partners, government representatives and members of the business community to its Bucharest facility today for a networking event showcasing the development of its next-generation cold-chain operation in Romania.

The event marked the progress made at NewCold Bucharest, which has developed from a greenfield project into an operational logistics hub. The site is preparing to expand from manual operations to a fully automated high-bay facility, planned for launch in early 2027.

Why Bucharest?

NewCold’s investment in Bucharest reflects the company’s long-term view of Romania’s growing role in the European food supply chain and the opportunities emerging across Central and South-Eastern Europe. The site is positioned with access to Romania’s principal logistics corridors and regional distribution routes, providing connectivity for domestic and international food supply chains.

The Bucharest development is intended to support the growing requirements of food producers, processors, retailers and distributors across Romania and South-Eastern Europe.

“Our ambition in Europe is to connect customers to a network that supports their supply chains beyond individual markets. Bucharest is an important part of that ambition, linking our investment in Romania with our wider European operations. By bringing storage, transport and technology together, we aim to give food businesses more options as their logistics needs evolve,” said Jonas Swarttouw, Managing Director Europe.

From greenfield development to regional logistics hub

NewCold Bucharest already has 6,400 pallet positions available through its manual operation. The next phase will add a 75,000-pallet automated high-bay warehouse, supported by proprietary warehouse management systems and end-to-end data visibility.

The facility is designed around high storage density, energy-efficient operations and the ability to scale from manual to automated capacity. Services identified for the Bucharest operation include labelling, co-packing and mixing, picking and cross-docking.

“For food businesses across Central and Eastern Europe, expanding distribution means managing greater complexity. Our focus is on making that manageable: reliable day-to-day operations, visibility of stock and services that fit different customer requirements. In Bucharest, the move from manual operations to automated capacity is about building the operational foundation to support those needs over the long term,” said Artur Spala, Operations Director CEE.

Speaking ahead of the event, Marian Predoi, Country Manager Romania, said the Bucharest development was taking shape through the daily work of the team and close cooperation with customers and local partners. He said welcoming people to the site would provide an opportunity to show what NewCold was building, listen to their business needs and discuss how the company could support them. He added that those conversations were just as important as the facility itself.

Building relationships around the future of the cold chain

The programme included contributions from Jonas Swarttouw, NewCold Managing Director Europe, alongside representatives of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Romanian Agency for Investment and Foreign Trade. Guests toured the facility, met the NewCold team and discussed the future of food logistics in Romania and across Central and South-Eastern Europe with customers, partners, potential partners, local authorities and members of the wider Romanian business community.

About NewCold

NewCold, the world’s third largest refrigerated food logistics provider, offers advanced temperature controlled supply chain solutions. With 27 state of the art, highly automated, and energy efficient warehouses across three continents, NewCold has a combined capacity of more than 2.5 million pallet positions. Supported by a growing transport fleet, proprietary technology, and a team of 3,000 people from over 40 cultures, NewCold provides end to end supply chain solutions to leading food companies.

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Shalane de Scánde, Communications & Corporate Affairs Manager
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