KPS Global on MarketScale | Cold Storage Expert Content

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

Cold Storage Infrastructure Powers Mission-Critical Supply Chains

KPS Global's 70-year evolution from walk-in coolers to vaccine storage and e-commerce fulfillment shows how controlled-environment manufacturing becomes strategic infrastructure as retail, food, and health sectors digitize.

KPS Global's content argues that custom cold storage and controlled-environment enclosures are not commodity products but competitive edges in retail, food, pharma, and e-commerce. The channel proves this by anchoring stories in specific customer wins: walk-in vaccine storage, robotics-enabled grocery fulfillment, floral coolers, and blood bank facilities, each tailored to exact operational needs rather than off-the-shelf solutions.

Drawn from Leading the Way: KPS Global Powers Diverse Ind… and 3 more →

“Automation is essential to grocery store's future. Automation isn't a bad thing. Tasks that don't require a human mind and can be processed more efficiently this way.”
Joe McMenamin, Director of eCommerce, KPS Global

By the numbers

750,000

square feet of manufacturing space across five U.S. states

45.6M

U.S. online grocery shoppers in June 2020, up 6% month-over-month

~$36B

online grocery sales value in 2019, showing market scale

3.4%

online grocery sales as percent of total in 2019

What the channel argues

DataKPS Global operates 750,000 sq ft of manufacturing across five U.S. states, enabling rapid delivery of custom insulated panels.→

DataOnline grocery sales jumped to nearly $36 billion in a single year, driving demand for micro-fulfillment cold storage.→

InsightKPS supports diverse verticals: retail walk-ins, vaccine distribution, floral coolers, blood banks, and clean rooms with customized solutions.→

DataViessmann Generations Group, a 107-year-old family company, acquired KPS Global in October 2024 to expand global cold storage capabilities.→

InsightE-commerce grocery dependency forced retailers to reclaim data ownership and build direct customer relationships instead of relying on third-party platforms.→

What you'll learn

•How a single manufacturer became mission-critical infrastructure by solving thermodynamic and operational efficiency challenges across food, pharma, and retail.

•Why online grocery adoption (45.6 million U.S. consumers surveyed in June 2020) forced retailers to invest in localized cold storage and micro-fulfillment.

•How custom enclosure design, not generic cooling, differentiates supply-chain resilience in industries from vaccine distribution to vertical farming.

•What vertical farms and dark kitchens reveal about the future structure of food retail: decentralized, temperature-controlled, inventory-light.

•Why condensation, humidity, thermodynamic efficiency, and door seals are not maintenance issues but revenue-protection engineering concerns.

What to do about it

→Assess whether your cold-chain infrastructure is custom-engineered for your specific product and throughput, or is a generic commodity that limits growth.

→Evaluate how e-commerce fulfillment demands are pushing you to own customer data and localize inventory, and how cold storage fits that strategy.

→Partner with suppliers who combine long-standing supplier relationships and state-of-the-art automation to guarantee on-time delivery and quality consistency.

Who and what shows up

Mike Eakins

CEO, KPS Global

Positioned KPS as an industry leader serving mission-critical applications; spoke on company heritage, innovation in sustainable products, and the 2021 Edison Award for Arctic Express Pack.

Joe McMenamin

Director of eCommerce, KPS Global

Articulated the intersection of micro-fulfillment, robotics, and grocery e-commerce, and emphasized automation's necessity for retail's future.

James Costanza

Technical Fellow, KPS Global

Led thermodynamic research and innovation; mentored the new Director of R&D and contributed multiple patents for sustainable product development.

Viessmann Generations Group

Parent company (acquired KPS Global October 2024)

107-year-old family firm with long-term growth outlook acquired KPS to strengthen custom enclosure capabilities and expand global reach in controlled-environment markets.

Lun Tsuei

Director of Research & Development, KPS Global

Joined in 2022 with Ph.D. from UC Berkeley and MBA from University of Texas; versed in lean manufacturing to drive innovation in sustainable products.

Questions this channel answers

What industries rely on custom cold storage solutions beyond food retail?

KPS serves vaccine distribution, blood banks, floral retail, clean rooms, dry rooms for scientific research, and vertical farming. Each requires precise temperature and humidity control tailored to the product.

Redefining Cold Chain Solutions with KPS Global’s Unmatc… →

How do e-commerce and online grocery reshape cold storage needs?

Online grocery sales reached nearly $36 billion in 2020, driving demand for micro-fulfillment centers integrated with retail locations. Retailers must own customer data and control inventory locally rather than rely on third-party platforms like Instacart.

What Does Ecommerce Mean in the Grocery Space →

What causes condensation and humidity problems in walk-in coolers?

When a door opens or panel seals fail, warmer air enters. Dew point depends on surface temperature and humidity. Proper sealing, humidity monitoring, and thermodynamic design prevent costly damage and energy loss.

Cooler News: Fighting Back Against Condensation in Walk-… →

How did KPS Global manage supply chain disruption during COVID-19?

KPS has a global supply chain and had to move quickly to secure completed items from suppliers and maintain delivery integrity. The company stayed ahead by thinking quickly and making strategic adjustments.

Cooler News: Managing the Supply Chain During the Pandem… →

What drives innovation in walk-in freezer design?

Thermodynamic research by engineers like James Costanza has made modern industrial freezers more efficient, longer-lasting, and environmentally friendly by improving energy flow and material performance.

Cooler News: Walk-In Freezer Innovations are Defying the… →

Best place to start

Redefining Cold Chain Solutions with KPS Global's Unmatched ScaleCEO Mike Eakins frames the 70-year heritage, 750,000 sq ft footprint, and mission-critical markets (vaccine distribution, food, health) in one narrative.

Viessmann Generations Group completes acquisition of KPS GlobalShows strategic inflection: 107-year family firm acquires KPS to strengthen global reach, signaling that custom cold storage is now core infrastructure, not a commodity.

Topics:Walk-in coolers and freezersVaccine and cold-chain logisticsRetail and e-commerce fulfillmentInsulated panel systemsControlled environment enclosures

Themes:Cold storage as competitive infrastructure, not commodityE-commerce and data ownership driving retail re-architectureThermodynamics and engineering as revenue protection

Industry context

The cold storage market is experiencing significant expansion, projected to grow from USD 193.74 billion in 2026 to USD 537.25 billion by 2035 at a 12% compound annual growth rate.

Cold Storage Market Size to Drive USD 537.25 Billion by 2035 (towardshealthcare.com) ↗