How Trenton Cold Storage Found Success in the Quinte Region for 120 Years (and Counting)

November 30, 2022

Trenton Cold Storage is a company with a 120 year history in the region. Since 1902, the first warehouse has been located at 21 Albert Street in Trenton, but the company has since expanded with 6 more Trenton locations, 2 Alberta locations, and one Toronto location. Providing temperature controlled warehousing and distribution through Canada and the US, Trenton Cold Storage has found success and growth in the Quinte region; here’s why.

What Is the Trenton Cold Storage Secret to Success?

This year Trenton Cold Storage is celebrating 120 years in business. When asked, how? How can a company survive and grow for that long? Tanu Mehta, Manager of HR, said that, “We keep pivoting and regenerating. If something wasn’t working we had to think out of the box and adjust and we did.” This is evidenced in Trenton Cold Storage’s long history.

Before the First World War, founder Eben James realized the need for cold storage to transport Ontario apples across the Atlantic to the UK. He used his 21 Albert Street location, directly on the Trent Waterway System, to do this. When that need diminished, Trenton Cold Storage pivoted to provide storage for locals to keep meat and food. Next they adapted to provide storage and transportation for dried eggs during the Second World War. After that Trenton Cold Storage saw the opportunities in the boom of frozen foods and frozen meals in the post-war era and became the largest processor of frozen peas and corn. In the 1990s, they pivoted again, entering the food service and grocery chain industry. For over 30 years, they have been growing and partnering with large multi national companies supporting manufacturing and distribution. 10% of all food consumed by families in Canada has passed through a Trenton Cold Storage facility. The Bay of Quinte region is a meeting point for so many different sectors that the opportunity to pivot and adapt has always been available to Trenton Cold Storage.

In the beginning there were only 6 people on staff at Trenton Cold Storage. Now, there are 300 team members. Due to the availability of high quality and skilled labor in the area Trenton Cold Storage found there was a business case to build their facilities here. The prime location cut transportation costs and the proximity to Toronto and Montreal provided closer access to major retailers and manufacturers across the country.

Trenton Cold Storage is always looking to hire top talent and has utilized workforce development resources provided by the Ontario East Economic Development Commission to hire in the past. Their new leadership, including the VP of Sales and Operations, was recruited through the LinkedIn Recruiter, a talent solution resource that Ontario East provided Trenton Cold Storage with free access to because of their location.

The Quinte Economic Development Commission (QEDC) provides information, connections, and resources for manufacturers in the Bay of Quinte. QEDC supports the region’s businesses and entrepreneurs as well as the local workforce.