A Legacy of Excellence

Chances are, if you work anywhere near the cold supply chain, you know the name Henningsen. Founded in 1923 by Waldemar F. Henningsen, Sr., the company originally grew into cold storage operations at seven locations throughout the Pacific Northwest under the name Northwestern Ice & Cold Storage Co. Four facilities were located in Portland, two in Washington — Walla Walla and Tacoma (Pacific Refrigerating Company) — and the other in American Falls, Idaho.

1973
The organization was transformed into Henningsen Cold Storage Co., emerging under the management of Michael E. Henningsen, Sr., grandson of the founder.

1978
Determined to build an extensive customer base in the frozen food industry, the company embarked upon a bold plan to build a state-of-the-industry warehouse in Twin Falls, Idaho. The expansion helped solidify Henningsen Cold Storage's commitment to the corn and potato industries, which led to additional expansion in service and production to meet the growing demand for distribution of processed potatoes throughout the Untied States, Canada, Mexico and overseas. After its fourth expansion, the Twin Falls facility is now Henningsen's largest operation, with more than 12 million cubic feet of frozen storage space.

1982
Henningsen leveraged its frozen potato warehousing expertise and constructed a Richland, Washington facility near the fertile eastern Washington Columbia Basin area. Expansion in 1985 added blast-freezing capabilities, attracting a growing number of customers who were afforded the added flexibility of two railroad lines for outbound shipments: Union Pacific Railroad and Burlington Northern Santa Fe.

1993
Knowing that a national footprint will further distinguish Henningsen's service offering, the company expanded for the first time outside the Pacific Northwest, building a new facility in Stilwell, Oklahoma. The facility offers a full complement of warehousing services, from blast freezing to railcar loading, export or distribution throughout the mid-south region of the United States.

1996
The company opened its second operation in the Portland metropolitan area. This facility is ideally located to meet the distribution needs of national and international customers throughout the Pacific Northwest. Located on the major interstate serving the Portland area, and on the Union Pacific Railroad line, the Portland operation also provides warehouse space and services for many local and regional processors. The facility was expanded in 1998 to its present capacity of nearly four million total cubic feet of fully convertible warehouse space.

1999
Technology is key to warehouse efficiency. State-of-the-art radio frequency systems, rapid truck unloading and specialized rail and truck loading docks are a few notable aspects of the Grand Forks, North Dakota facility, constructed in 1999 to serve growers in the America's heartland.

2001
Henningsen purchased a refrigerated distribution center in Scranton, Pennsylvania, extending the Henningsen footprint "All Across America." Today, Scranton also serves as the eastern domicile for the company's growing transportation service.

2005
Henningsen saw the need for high-caliber refrigerated warehousing in the Seattle market and opened the new Kent facility. Nationwide transportation services soon followed, with the launch of Henningsen Transportation Management Services, offering full and LTL truckload moves to warehouse and non-warehouse customers alike.

2008
Momentum continues with construction of the East Portland Distribution Center and the Richland, WA Transload Center: Two state-of-the-art facilities at the forefront of an evolving cold supply chain where throughput, supply chain visibility and final mile efficiency are the hallmarks of a logistics leader.

Four generations later, Henningsen Cold Storage Co. is one of the largest public refrigerated warehousing companies in North America, with nearly 43 million cubic feet of refrigerated and frozen storage space. Yet Henningsen is building more than facilities. The company continues to build partnerships with customers and contemporaries through active roles in the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI), the National Frozen and Refrigerated Food Association (NFRA), Northwest Food Processors Association, International Association of Refrigerated Warehouses (IARW), The World Food Logistics Organization (WFLO) and The World Group.