How a Tampa distributor added cold storage to a warehouse at dock height

Renovating a dry warehouse for cold means permits, downtime and months of work. A food and beverage distributor in Tampa, FL, found another way to add cold storage to warehouse operations: a ZSTORE 3XL cooler and a 4XL freezer, set perpendicular to the building at dock height, with a door between zones. Forklifts now drive straight from dry to cold.

The challenge

A food and beverage distributor working from a dry warehouse still needs somewhere to keep chilled and frozen product. In a building designed for dry goods, that cold capacity has to come from somewhere, and it has to connect to the way product already moves through the dock and the aisles.

The traditional route is to renovate: convert part of the dry warehouse into cold rooms. That means permits, downtime and months of work, all while the business still has to ship orders.

The distributor wanted cold and frozen storage connected to its dry warehouse, without stopping the operation to build it.

The solution

ZGROUP delivered two ZSTORE XL rooms, built from refrigerated shipping container modules with Thermo King refrigeration units:

• A ZSTORE 3XL cooler
• A ZSTORE 4XL freezer

The rooms are set perpendicular to the building, at dock height, with a door between the cooler and freezer zones. Together they add 2,240 ft² of floor area.

Dock height is what makes the layout work. Forklifts drive straight from the dry warehouse into the cold rooms. The cold storage becomes an extension of the warehouse floor rather than a separate building.

The results

• 2,240 ft² of floor area
• Dual temp: cooler + freezer
• Dock height: more productive area

The distributor skipped the renovation entirely: only limited permitting, no downtime, no months of work. The dry warehouse kept running as before, and the cold rooms added productive area at the dock, where product already comes in and goes out.

How to add cold storage to warehouse space without renovating

If you run a dry warehouse and need cold, you have two main options. You can convert part of the building into cold rooms, or you can add modular cold storage next to it. Here is what the modular route looks like.

1. Choose the position

Modular rooms can be placed against the building at dock height, so forklifts move directly between dry and cold. Doors between zones keep the flow simple.

2. Size each zone

One XL module is 320 ft² and about 20 pallet positions. Modules connect side by side into one open walk-in, and zones can run at different temperatures, so a cooler and a freezer can sit next to each other.

3. Plan the timeline

ZSTORE XL units are delivered in under 60 days and installed in 2 to 5 days, with no civil works or permanent construction and only minimal site prep.

4. Monitor and protect

ZTRACK provides remote monitoring of temperature and alarms. Units come with a 5-year warranty, are available to rent or to buy, and can be moved and reinstalled at another site if you relocate.

Can you add cold storage to an existing warehouse?

Yes. Instead of converting part of a dry building, modular cold rooms can be placed next to it, at dock height, so forklifts move straight from dry to cold. In this project the distributor needed only limited permitting, compared with the heavy permitting, downtime and months of work of a full conversion. ZSTORE XL rooms come as coolers, freezers or both, connected by doors between zones.

See how ZSTORE XL modular cold storage is configured, or browse more cold storage projects in Florida.

Is it right for your operation?

If a renovation is the only thing standing between your dry warehouse and a cold chain, there is a faster way. See how ZSTORE XL modular cold storage is configured, or talk to our team about your building and your docks.