Lineage Logistics buys Ontario Refrigerated Services

Chilling in the freezer: (L-R) ORS general manager Albi Biancini,
Madzo’s Brian Keck, and ORS founder Roger Kropf. (Photo: Emily Atkins)

NOVI, Michigan – Lineage Logistics, LLC  will acquire Ontario Refrigerated Services, Inc. (ORS), a family-operated cold storage company offering temperature-controlled space in the Greater Toronto market, marking Lineage’s entrance into the Canadian market. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Established in 2003 by founder and president Roger Kropf and controller and CGA accountant Kate Kropf, ORS has long served the Southern Ontario farming community with long customer relationships and wholly owned facilities located near customers’ production facilities.

Read the Inside Logistics feature on ORS here.

“Kate and I are pleased to congratulate Lineage on the acquisition of Ontario Refrigerated Services, Inc.,” said Roger Kropf, ORS Founder and President. “The support of our customers and team have contributed to our rapid growth and success for the past 17 years, and I believe Lineage and CapCold are the right partners to take ORS into the future.“

The acquisition includes four modern facilities within 150 km of Toronto that collectively offer 510,000 square feet (16.2 MM cubic feet) and 100,000 pallet positions of refrigerated capacity.

“We are thrilled to expand our industry-leading, global network into the Canadian market and can think of no better group with whom to begin this journey than the ORS team,” said Greg Lehmkuhl, president and CEO of Lineage.

“The Ontario market is a cornerstone of the Canadian economy, making this the natural place for Lineage to launch our broader Canadian market platform. Further, ORS’s entrepreneurial spirit and local roots are a great fit with the Lineage culture. We’re excited to have this starting point to expand further in Canada.”

Lineage has partnered on this investment with CapCold Group Inc., an entity formed by Robert and Patrick Molyneux to pursue the acquisition of North American cold storage companies, with in-depth experience in major Canadian market centers. Robert and Patrick Molyneux will join the Lineage team as advisors as the Company works to strengthen its Canadian platform.

“We look forward to working with the ORS and Lineage management teams to further expand their Canadian market footprint,“ said Robert Molyneux, president and chairman of CapCold.

Following the close of this transaction, the Lineage Logistics will have a global footprint that spans over 1.9 billion cubic feet of temperature-controlled capacity across over 300 facilities in 13 countries spanning North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and South America.

The transaction is expected to close in the coming weeks, subject to customary closing conditions.