Refrigerated Warehouse & Cold Chain Design
Cold Storage Engineering for Coolers, Freezers & Cold Chain
Hixson designs refrigerated warehouses, freezers and cold rooms for food, beverage and pharma operations across North America — all under one roof.
- Ammonia, CO2 and freon systems with PSM compliance
- Blast and IQF freezing, coolers, freezers and docks
- 20 in-house disciplines, from process to civil design
Full-service architecture and engineering firm since 1948, with 20 in-house disciplines.
Prefer to talk? Call 513-241-1230
Start your cold storage project
Tell us about your facility and an engineer will follow up.
Why plant teams bring us their cold storage work
One team, 20 disciplines
Refrigeration, process, HVAC, electrical, structural, civil and architecture sit in-house. Fewer handoffs, fewer gaps.
Refrigeration built for your product
Ammonia (NH3), freon and CO2 systems, blast and IQF freezing, cold rooms and refrigerated docks designed around what you make.
Safety and code handled in design
PSM-compliant ammonia documentation, HAZOP, LOPA and PHA studies are built into the design, not bolted on later.
Storage that fits your flow
Racking, AS/RS and shuttle systems for cold environments, planned with material flow, docks and warehouse layout.
Experience with major manufacturers
Our clients include Nestlé, Abbott Nutrition, Maple Leaf Foods, Molson Coors and Milo's Tea Company.
Work across North America
We serve industrial clients in the United States and Canada from our Cincinnati office.
Cold storage engineering from concept through startup
Cold storage is more than a box with a freezer door. Product temperatures, dock design, refrigerant choice, racking and controls all pull on each other. Hixson brings those decisions together in one integrated design so your facility runs the way you planned it.
We support greenfield builds, expansions and retrofits, including master planning, site selection, construction documents and construction administration.
- Ammonia (NH3), freon and CO2 refrigeration system design
- Blast freezing and IQF freezing systems
- Coolers, freezers, cold rooms and refrigerated dock design
- Racking, AS/RS and shuttle systems for cold environments
- PSM-compliant ammonia documentation, HAZOP, LOPA and PHA studies
- Refrigeration controls integration, FAT/SAT, startup and commissioning
- HVAC, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, structural and civil engineering
- Master planning, site selection, cost estimating and construction administration
Trusted by food, beverage and science clients
“This project (designed and engineered by Hixson) is big for our company’s growth because it will more than double our capacity when it is fully ramped to scale.”
“This facility (designed and engineered by Hixson) will enable Maple Leaf to meet the steadily growing consumer demand for premium, value-added poultry products, and strengthen Canada’s food system.”
“This new (Hixson-designed) facility will offer more capacity over the longer term to better serve our customers and support our momentum.”
What happens after you reach out
Tell us about the facility
Share the product, storage temperatures, volumes and whether this is a new build, expansion or retrofit.
Talk with our engineers
We review your goals, site constraints, refrigeration options and the code and safety requirements that apply.
Get a scope and plan
We outline the disciplines involved, the deliverables and the project phases so you can move forward with confidence.
Frequently asked questions
What does a cold storage engineering project cost?
Fees depend on the scope: facility size, refrigeration system, storage temperatures and how many disciplines are involved. Tell us about your project and we will define the scope and give you pricing.
Do you design new cold storage buildings or only upgrades?
Both. We work on greenfield facilities, expansions and retrofits of existing coolers, freezers and refrigeration systems, including master planning and site selection.
Can you handle ammonia refrigeration and PSM requirements?
Yes. We design ammonia (NH3), freon and CO2 systems and provide PSM-compliant documentation, HAZOP, LOPA and PHA studies as part of the design.
Do you build the facility too?
No. Hixson provides design, engineering and construction administration. We do not perform general contracting or construction labor, and we do not sell process equipment.
Where do you work?
We serve clients across North America, including the United States and Canada, from our office at 659 Van Meter Street, Cincinnati, OH.
Can you also design the racking, AS/RS and controls?
Yes. Our teams cover cold warehouse racking, AS/RS and shuttle systems, plus refrigeration controls integration, panel design, FAT/SAT and startup.
Ready to plan your cold storage project?
Send us the basics on your cooler, freezer or refrigerated warehouse. Our engineers will review it and get back to you with next steps.
- Ammonia, CO2 and freon systems with PSM compliance
- Blast and IQF freezing, coolers, freezers and docks
- 20 in-house disciplines, from process to civil design
Prefer to talk? Call 513-241-1230