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A contractor works at Vortex Cold Storage in September. Sarah Stultz/Albert Lea Tribune

An aerial photo of Vortex Cold Storage off of 14th Street in Albert Lea shows the expanson at the plant. Provided

Vortex Cold Storage is slated to open an additional 100,000 square feet by the end of the year. Sarah Stultz/Albert Lea Tribune

The company has gained popularity among truck drivers for its friendly staff, quick service and facilities. Sarah Stultz/Albert Lea Tribune

Crews work on the new addition at Vortex Cold Storage in early September. Sarah Stultz/Albert Lea Tribune

Open less than 2 years, Vortex Cold Storage prepares to open major addition by end of year

The cold storage company that started its business in Albert Lea in 2022 is slated to open just over 100,000 square feet of additional space by the end of the year.

Work to expand Vortex Cold Storage started in December of 2023, and with favorable conditions throughout the winter, construction crews were able to make significant progress on the construction, said company co-founder Erik Brust. With the building now enclosed, they have used much of the summer to complete things on the inside of the building, including mechanicals and finishing details.

“We’re on track for a slightly early open from our original plan,” he said.

When complete, Vortex Cold Storage, in the ALEDA Industrial Park off of 14th Street between South Broadway and Margaretha avenues, will have about 275,000 square feet in total, including warehouse and dock space, offices, a conference room and a driver’s lounge.

The building provides temperature-controlled Safe Quality Food Certified storage, ranging from 40 degrees to 20 below zero, along with other customizable warehouse services.

Brust said Vortex Cold Storage in Albert Lea primarily stores protein and ice cream products, with some other smaller product categories, as well. This includes products for the popular line of Twin Cities frozen treats known as JohnnyPops, which Brust and partner Connor Wray also founded.

He credited much of the expansion to the company’s team of employees in Albert Lea, which he said do a fantastic job of servicing their customers.

“That has led them all to say we would love to have more space,” he said.

Vortex has a strong reputation amongst truck drivers, with several Google reviews crediting not only the facilities, but also the friendly staff and quick service.

Brust said much of the design of their operation is centered around the truck drivers, and they even offer free snacks for them to enjoy when unloading or loading.

“Theres a lot of cold storage out there in the world, there really is — way beyond Minnesota there’s a lot of cold storage,” he said. “Really it comes down to the people behind it … it’s the team who’s actually doing the work who deserves the credit. That is really what fueled this growth is just great teammates and greater capabilities we’ve been able to onboard because of how strong our team is.

“You earn more business in this industry by treating the customers’ product like it’s yours — being careful with it, not damaging it, getting it on trucks on time.”

Currently there are 45 employees at the Albert Lea site, and with the expansion the company hopes to reach 60 in the future.

Brust said he looks forward to being involved in the community for years to come.

“We love Albert Lea, and we’re really excited to be opening up an expansion there,” he said.

The expansion at the Albert Lea site will come online at the same time as a second Vortex Cold Storage site in Clearwater.

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