Groupe Robert invests $150 M in Varennes towards an automated distribution centre
by CM Staff
Automated warehouse for fresh and frozen products will be built for a logistics company in Quebec.
VARENNES — On Mar. 15, Groupe Robert announced plans to build a an automated distribution centre in Varennes, with a financial contribution from the Fonds de solidarité FTQ, a Groupe Robert partner since 1993, and from the Government of Quebec. The total investment of $150 million, includes $40 million provided by the Fonds de solidarité FTQ and a financial support of $15 million from the Government of Quebec in the form of a loan, the new facility will be built in compliance with sustainable development standards.
Located near Highway 30, the large vertical capacity distribution centre will boast a height of 150 feet with storage capacity for 60,000 pallets: 30,000 for fresh products and 30,000 for frozen products.
This new facility will be an addition to Groupe Robert’s Boucherville agri-food complexes and is designed to meet the food industry’s ever-growing demand for refrigerated and frozen goods. The initiative is aligned with the Quebec Government’s strategy to promote food autonomy and buying local.
With this project, Groupe Robert will become the first 3PL (third-party logistics) service provider in Quebec with an automated warehouse for fresh and frozen foods.
The centre will be equipped with a heat recovery system allowing it to reuse heat generated by the refrigeration equipment to provide heating required to ensure the building’s operations as well as to heat the exterior concrete slabs on the loading docks. The excess heat can also be used to heat adjacent properties or the equivalent of 100 single-family homes.
Solar panels and a rainwater collection system to be used for washing trailers will complete energy-efficient features of the company’s building.
Construction of the project has been awarded to general contractor Construction Sorel. Groupe Robert has also engaged the services of architect Jean Carol Fournier and engineering firm Tetra Tech, to accompany the company until completion of the project. The centre is scheduled to be operational in early 2023.
