Selling or acquiring a refrigerated warehouse requires a broker who knows refrigeration capex, food safety compliance, and how anchor tenant contracts drive valuation — not a generalist.
Find Cold Storage & Warehousing Deals Without a BrokerCold storage and warehousing businesses trade at 3.5x–6x EBITDA depending on contract quality, facility condition, and certification status. The right broker understands energy cost normalization, real estate optionality, and how to position SQF or USDA certifications as premium value drivers to strategic 3PL and private equity buyers.
Focuses exclusively on logistics, warehousing, and supply chain businesses. Understands refrigeration capex cycles, cold chain compliance, and how to value anchor tenant contracts accurately.
Best for: Sellers with $500K+ EBITDA seeking strategic 3PL buyers or private equity roll-up platforms with existing cold storage portfolios.
Advises on middle-market food infrastructure deals including cold chain, food-grade warehousing, and distribution. Strong relationships with PE-backed buyers executing buy-and-build strategies.
Best for: Owners of multi-facility or regionally dominant cold storage operations targeting institutional buyers or structured earnout transactions.
Broad commercial broker capable of packaging cold storage deals for SBA 7(a) or 504 financing. Best when real estate and equipment are included and the buyer is an individual owner-operator.
Best for: Smaller facilities under $2M revenue where the buyer is financing with SBA loans and the seller needs help structuring a seller note.
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How many cold storage or refrigerated warehouse businesses have you sold in the last three years?
Refrigeration capex normalization, energy cost adjustments, and food safety compliance are deal-specific skills — a generalist broker can misvalue your business by 20–30%.
How do you handle buyer due diligence on aging refrigeration systems and deferred maintenance?
Equipment condition is the most common deal-killer in cold storage transactions. An experienced broker proactively commissions equipment appraisals and frames deferred maintenance before buyers do.
What is your buyer network for cold storage assets — do you work with 3PL roll-ups or PE platforms?
Strategic and institutional buyers pay higher multiples and move faster. A broker with no relationships in logistics PE will default to individual buyers, reducing your final price.
How do you value and present long-term customer storage contracts during the marketing process?
Anchor tenant contracts with 3–5 year terms are your most valuable asset. Brokers unfamiliar with cold storage often underweight contract quality in their valuation narrative.
Most cold storage businesses in the $1M–$5M revenue range sell at 3.5x–6x EBITDA. Facilities with long-term contracts, owned real estate, modern refrigeration, and SQF or USDA certifications command the upper end of that range.
Yes. Cold storage and refrigerated warehousing businesses are SBA-eligible. SBA 504 loans work well when real estate is included; SBA 7(a) fits asset purchases. Buyers typically contribute 10–20% equity with a seller note bridging any gap.
Plan for 12–24 months from preparation to close. Real estate appraisals, equipment inspections, food safety compliance review, and customer contract analysis add significant time compared to simpler service business sales.
Waiting too long to address deferred maintenance on refrigeration systems. Buyers and lenders will discount aging compressors, ammonia systems, or outdated racking heavily — often more than the actual replacement cost warrants.
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