Project Profile: Automated Freezer for Conestoga Cold Storage

Project details

Conestoga Cold Storage (CCS) operates multiple cold-storage warehouses and distribution centers across Canada and, in 2023, announced their plan to expand into Halton Hills, Ontario. Ayr Welding submitted a successful tender to assist in building a large, state-of-the-art, automated freezer for the cold storage facility.

The scope of Ayr’s work on the project involves Ayr millwrights, painters, and the welding/fabrication team. Ayr’s welders and fabricators are currently fabricating racks in 45-foot sections, after which the painters take over. Once the racks are painted, they are delivered to the site, where millwrights construct the racking, building sections 150 feet tall by 800 feet long. Ayr has dedicated about 35 workers to the project, phase one of which is scheduled for completion by September 2024.

The challenge

The biggest challenge Ayr faces in completing the project by next September is the approaching winter weather. On windy days, given the focus on safety, craning and the use of man baskets can be challenging or not an option at all. When the temperature plummets, snow falls and ice forms, on-site work is no longer feasible.

The Ayr Welding Solution

The solution to the wind, snow and ice is to implement strategic project management. Based on Ayr’s decades of experience at executing complex projects on time and on budget, Ayr’s expertise is shifting gears as conditions change. We are currently taking full advantage of the good fall weather at the site to erect the racking.