What Coldbox Builders does

Coldbox Builders is a privately held Canadian design-build firm headquartered in Burlington, Ontario that plans, designs, and constructs environmentally controlled facilities for the food processing, food logistics, and pharmaceutical logistics industries. Founded in 2008 by Marko Dzeletovich, the firm operates a progressive plan-design-build model in which a single Project Executive carries accountability from planning and permitting through design, construction, and commissioning. The company's product line centers on four offerings: turnkey Plan-Design-Build Services; Food & Beverage Logistics Facilities (refrigerated warehouses, cold storage, cross-docking); Food Processing & Manufacturing Facilities (CFIA-compliant production facilities); and Pharmaceutical Logistics Facilities (cold chain, GDP-compliant environments with cleanroom and secure access). Underlying technical differentiators include the proprietary Quick Freeze System (QFR) with uniform high-pressure airflow across 1,536 dedicated pallet positions, a 1,900-horsepower single-stage ammonia refrigeration system providing ~15 million BTU/hr with swing-temperature operation from -34°C to +4°C, North America's largest joint-free slab freezer floor at 25,000 square feet, free cooling systems using filtered outdoor air, and energy-efficient scroll compressors with electronically commutated motors. Compliance capabilities span CFIA, FDA, USDA, Health Canada, BRC, SQF, and GDP, with multi-jurisdictional privacy posture covering GDPR and Ontario PHIPA.

Coldbox generates revenue through project-based professional services on a B2B design-build basis, with each engagement encompassing architectural, mechanical, structural, electrical, fire suppression, permitting, and construction management disciplines. Pricing is quote-based and project-specific with no public price list. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales led by the President and a Director of Business Development and Sales, with consultation booked via the website and a Project Executive assigned as single point of contact. Customer logos include Lineage Logistics (multiple sites, 521,000 SF Milton retrofit), Arla Foods, McKesson Canada (multi-site pharma), Costco (London, ON), Papa John's (first Canadian dough facility), Wismettac Group, Trio Bakery, Quality Fast Foods/Premium Brands, Chefs' Warehouse, GoCold Solutions, UNFI, Sysco, Unilever, Lindt, Congebec, Goodfood, UPS Supply Chain Solutions, and Toppits Foods - spanning food processing, food service distribution, third-party logistics, pharma logistics, and grocery wholesale.

The firm operates offices in Burlington, Ontario (Canadian headquarters) and Lewes, Delaware (United States), with stated international presence in the Philippines and Egypt. Coldbox holds a Board of Directors seat at the Controlled Environment Building Association (CEBA) and is a long-standing member of the Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA), with leadership comprising Founder/CEO Marko Dzeletovich, President Brian Rosabal, CFO Randy Smallbone, and Director of Business Development and Sales Jeff Woods. The company is privately held and operates as an employee-owned enterprise via an Employee Share Ownership Program (ESOP) with semi-annual performance bonuses; no external investors or parent company relationships have been disclosed.

Name

Coldbox Builders

Legal name

Coldbox Builders Inc.

Website

https://coldboxbuilders.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Coldbox Builders is a Canadian design-build firm that plans, designs, and constructs environmentally controlled facilities - refrigerated warehouses, food processing plants, and pharma cold-chain logistics sites - for enterprise clients across North America with select international projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cold Storage and Environmentally Controlled Facility Construction Services

NAICS

Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors (238220)

akta.pro primary industry

Cold Room Panels, Doors & Seals Repair (HSAOAJAK)

Keywords

• Cold storage construction
• Design-build services
• Environmentally controlled facilities
• Warehouse construction
• Pharmaceutical cold chain

Headquarters

HQ city

Burlington

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Plan-Design-Build Professional Services: Full-service turnkey approach where Coldbox serves as a single source for planning, designing, and building environmentally controlled facilities. Revenue is generated through project-based professional services including architectural, mechanical, structural, electrical, and fire suppression disciplines, along with site plan approval and permit acquisition.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Coldbox Builders provides a progressive plan-design-build turnkey service for environmentally controlled facilities serving food processing, food logistics, and pharmaceutical logistics clients. The integrated offering covers planning, architectural/structural/mechanical/electrical/fire suppression design, permitting, and construction under a single Project Executive, delivering CFIA-, FDA-, USDA-, Health Canada-, BRC-, and SQF-compliant facilities.

Product overview

Coldbox Builders offers a unified Plan-Design-Build service for environmentally controlled facilities, serving three core market segments: Food & Beverage Logistics Facilities, Food Processing & Manufacturing Facilities, and Pharmaceutical Logistics Facilities. Their integrated approach provides a single source of accountability through planning, design, and construction phases, managed by a Project Executive from start to finish. The company specializes in maximizing throughput and minimizing total cost of ownership for facilities requiring precise temperature and humidity control.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Plan-Design-Build Services Turnkey solution encompassing planning, design, and construction of environmentally controlled facilities, providing a single point of accountability from project conception through commissioning for enterprise clients in food logistics, food processing, and pharmaceutical logistics.
• Food & Beverage Logistics Facilities Environmentally controlled storage and distribution facilities for temperature-sensitive food products, including refrigerated warehouses, cold storage, and cross-docking operations for enterprise food & beverage logistics operators.
• Food Processing & Manufacturing Facilities CFIA-compliant production facilities with controlled environments for food manufacturing, including processing zones, refrigeration spaces, packaging areas, and quality control laboratories for enterprise food processing operators.
• Pharmaceutical Logistics Facilities Cold chain facilities for temperature-controlled pharmaceutical storage and distribution, incorporating Good Distribution Practice (GDP) compliance, cleanroom environments, and secure access control systems for enterprise pharmaceutical logistics operators.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% project success rate across all environmentally controlled facility projects
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Controlled Environment Building Association (CEBA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing member and partner of CEBA. Coldbox sits on their Board of Directors and participates in various commodities. CEBA and Global Cold Chain Alliance are leading the industry with knowledge, insights, and standards of excellence.
• Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing member and partner of the Global Cold Chain Alliance. Coldbox participates in various commodities and industry initiatives. GCCA sets standards of excellence for the cold chain industry.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Tippmann Group: Specialized design-build firm focused on temperature-controlled and cold storage warehouses. Directly comparable to Coldbox on product offering, target customers (food logistics operators), and turnkey plan-design-build delivery model.
• Fisher Construction Group: Design-build contractor specializing in refrigerated and frozen food distribution centers. Closely aligned with Coldbox on customer segment (food logistics and processing), service scope (planning through construction), and project scale.
• Stellar: Design-build firm with deep food and beverage processing, cold storage, and distribution center expertise. Comparable to Coldbox on vertical specialization, full EPC delivery, and enterprise-grade customer base.
• ARCO National Construction: Design-build contractor with a strong cold storage and food distribution portfolio. Comparable to Coldbox in turnkey cold-storage delivery for third-party logistics and food retailers.
• Gray Construction: Design-build firm focused on food and beverage processing, distribution, and cold storage facilities. Comparable on customer overlap (food processors and logistics operators) and project size (multi-hundred-thousand SF builds).
• ESI Constructors: Design-build contractor focused on food processing, cold storage, and industrial facilities. Directly comparable to Coldbox on vertical specialization and turnkey project delivery to food processors and logistics operators.

Broad incumbents

• Haskell: Large integrated design-build firm serving food and beverage, pharma, and industrial clients including cold-chain and pharmaceutical logistics projects. A broader incumbent that overlaps Coldbox in target verticals but at larger scale and broader portfolio.
• McCarthy Building Companies: National design-build contractor with a cold storage and food processing portfolio. Overlaps with Coldbox in temperature-controlled facility delivery but operates across a much wider construction portfolio.
• Big-D Construction: Large design-build firm with food and beverage, cold storage, and industrial experience. Comparable to Coldbox in project type but broader in scale, geographic reach, and end-market exposure.

Emerging players

• Norlake Scientific: Manufacturer and builder of cold rooms, walk-in coolers, and refrigerated storage for life sciences and food. Adjacent overlap with Coldbox's refrigerated facility construction, though primarily equipment-driven rather than full design-build.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCRzDXXSPhZLNMz7KECyuyug
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/230444/admin
• Xx.com/coldboxbuilders

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Coldbox Builders