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Insulated panel systems for every cold storage application.

KPS Global manufactures insulated panel systems for convenience stores, grocery retailers, foodservice operators, and industrial enclosures. Their MarketScale channel gives procurement and facilities professionals access to product expertise, installation guidance, and cold chain best practices. KPS Global is the leading domestic supplier of walk-in cooler and freezer systems.

57 episodes
Channel Brief·KPS Global · 57 episodes
Updated Oct 1, 2024

Custom Enclosures for Mission-Critical Cold Chain Infrastructure

KPS Global has spent over seven decades building insulated panel systems for food retail, healthcare, and industrial cold storage. This channel documents how scale, automation, and vertical market focus drive competitive moat.

KPS Global argues that cold chain infrastructure is a defensible, mission-critical business when built on manufacturing scale, supplier relationships, and deep vertical expertise. The channel proves this through case studies of retail walk-in coolers, vaccine storage during COVID-19, e-commerce fulfillment centers, and oil-and-gas equipment enclosures, all underpinned by the company's 750,000 square feet of manufacturing capacity spread across five U.S. states.

Drawn from Viessmann Generations Group completes acquisit… and 4 more →

“Automation is essential to grocery store's future. Automation isn't a bad thing.”

Joe McMenamin, KPS Global business development for grocery fulfillment

By the numbers

750,000 sq ft

manufacturing space across five U.S. states

107 years

Viessmann Generations Group's heritage and operating history

$36 billion

Online grocery sales in 2019 alone

3.4%

Online grocery sales share in 2019

What the channel argues

InsightKPS Global is the largest provider of custom walk-ins in the nation's food retail market.→
InsightOver seven decades of industry legacy have established KPS as the cold chain standards-setter.→
InsightKPS Global acquired Custom Cooler to integrate best practices and strengthen manufacturing capacity.→
DataE-commerce grocery sales reached nearly $36 billion in 2019, driving demand for micro-fulfillment.→
InsightViessmann Generations Group acquired KPS Global in October 2024 to expand strategic reach.→

What you'll learn

•Walk-in cooler and freezer design requires thermodynamic expertise, humidity monitoring, and surface-temperature control to prevent condensation and energy waste.
•Grocery e-commerce growth (driven by COVID-19 and changing consumer behavior) created urgent demand for insulated storage solutions in micro-fulfillment centers.
•Cold chain infrastructure serves diverse verticals: food retail, healthcare vaccine distribution, blood banks, floral storage, and energy-sector equipment protection.
•Manufacturing scale, long-standing supplier relationships, and state-of-the-art automation (including robotics) are the operational foundations that differentiate KPS Global.
•Data ownership and direct customer relationships are becoming competitive advantages for grocery retailers moving to e-commerce fulfillment.

What to do about it

→Audit your walk-in cooler or freezer for condensation and energy loss by checking humidity, surface temperature, and dew point with field technicians.
→Evaluate micro-fulfillment and e-commerce fulfillment capabilities if you operate retail or grocery; custom cold storage is now a critical infrastructure investment.
→Consider automation and robotics in your cold chain operations to maintain consistent quality, reduce labor costs, and scale efficiently across geographies.

Who and what shows up

Mike Eakins

CEO, KPS Global

Discussed KPS Global's seven-decade legacy, 750,000 sq ft manufacturing footprint, and role in cold chain infrastructure for food, health, and industrial sectors.

Joe McMenamin

Director of eCommerce and business development for grocery fulfillment, KPS Global

Explained the intersection of micro-fulfillment centers with grocery retail, the role of automation in e-commerce, and data ownership opportunities for retailers moving online.

Sean McGrann

SVP, KPS Global

Contributed to discussion of KPS Global's turnkey approach to retail cold storage solutions and e-commerce fulfillment.

James Costanza

Technical Fellow, KPS Global

Conducted research on thermodynamics and energy flow in walk-in freezers, enabling more efficient, longer-lasting, and environmentally friendly industrial cold storage design.

Viessmann Generations Group

Family-owned investment company and acquirer of KPS Global

Acquired KPS Global in October 2024 to strengthen custom enclosure capabilities and expand global reach in mission-critical industries.

Questions this channel answers

Q

Why is condensation a problem in walk-in coolers and freezers?

Condensation occurs when humidity and surface temperature combine to reach the dew point. Droplets on glass doors and pooling water around cooler edges reduce efficiency and require field diagnosis of environmental conditions.

Cooler News: How to Effectively Scale COVID-19 Vaccine S… →
Q

How did COVID-19 accelerate grocery e-commerce and cold storage demand?

Online grocery shopping grew from 3.4% of sales in 2019 (nearly $36 billion) to 45.6 million U.S. consumers by June 2020. This surge required retailers to build micro-fulfillment centers with insulated storage capacity.

Coolers for Convenience Stores: Uses, Options and Trends →
Q

What makes KPS Global's manufacturing different from competitors?

KPS operates 750,000 square feet across five U.S. states, leverages long-standing supplier relationships for on-time material delivery, and uses state-of-the-art automation and robotics to ensure consistent quality in every custom project.

KPS Global Announces Succession Plan of Key Leaders →
Q

What cold storage applications exist beyond food retail?

KPS designs vaccine storage facilities, blood bank storage, clean rooms, dry rooms, near 180-degree floral coolers, and equipment enclosures for industrial applications including oil, gas, wastewater, and renewables sectors.

Beyond Cold Storage: KPS Global’s Versatility in Control… →
Q

How did KPS Global manage supply chain disruption during the pandemic?

KPS Global's global supply chain required quick thinking and proactive changes to stay ahead of COVID-19, maintain supplier relationships, and ensure on-time delivery of completed items and raw materials to customers.

Cooler News: The State of Robotics in Grocery Markets →
Topics:Custom walk-in coolers and freezersCold chain logistics and fulfillmentVaccine and healthcare storage solutionsE-commerce grocery micro-fulfillmentEquipment enclosures for energy and mining
Themes:Manufacturing scale as competitive moatVertical market expertise drives defensibilityCold chain is mission-critical infrastructure

Industry context

Manufacturing firms are increasingly adopting warehouse management systems and big data analytics to optimize operations, with the data analytics market in manufacturing alone projected to reach $69.9 billion by 2033.