Economic development is about more than attracting new businesses — it’s about helping existing ones grow. A prime example is the expansion of Vital Farms into Springfield in 2017, which became a catalyst for growth across the region. Vital Farms’ award-winning Egg Central Station relies on Cold Zone, an Erlen Group company and leading provider of cold storage solutions, for egg storage.
Since that partnership began, Cold Zone has grown from 12 employees to more than 100 in just six years. This growth outpaced its previous space at Springfield Underground and led to this week’s ribbon cutting for a new $54 million, 170,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility in PIC West — just next door to Vital Farms. The facility features multiple temperature zones, supports both frozen and refrigerated products, and is designed to expand up to 800,000 square feet in the future.
The site itself is a 46-acre certified shovel-ready property developed in partnership with the Springfield Business Development Corporation (SBDC). Because of that readiness, Cold Zone broke ground in summer 2024 and opened in just over a year.
Investments like these, and the work of SBDC and investors like you, are what strengthen and sustain our region’s economic ecosystem.
Congratulations Cold Zone!