Built for What Comes Next: Inside Lactalis Canada’s New Oshawa Distribution Centre
How performance, coordination and insulated metal panels came together on a major cold storage facility
When Lactalis Canada set out to consolidate part of its distribution network, it needed more than additional storage capacity.
The new facility had to support efficient operations while meeting demanding cold storage requirements at scale. The result is a 379,000-square-foot refrigerated distribution centre in Oshawa, Ontario, with capacity for up to 60,000 pallets across cooler and freezer environments, making it the largest of its kind in the Lactalis Group by capacity.
Developed and built by Broccolini, with GKC Architecture and Design serving as architect and principal consultant, the project brought together a large team of specialists. Norbec supplied insulated metal panel solutions for the building envelope and controlled environments.
Designing for the next 25 years
The objective was to create something capable of meeting the company’s needs for the next 25 years while improving energy efficiency, environmental performance and operational effectiveness.
The building was conceived as more than a conventional industrial warehouse. Its high-density storage configuration includes multiple refrigerated zones designed around the movement of people, materials and temperature-sensitive products.
Sustainability was integrated into that thinking from the beginning. The zero-carbon-ready facility incorporates high insulation values intended to reduce the refrigeration load, heat recovery from the refrigeration system and infrastructure designed to accommodate future solar panels.
Why the envelope mattered
In a refrigerated facility of this scale, the envelope does much more than separate indoors from outdoors.
Panel joints, thermal bridging, moisture control, airtightness and durability all influence the ability of the building to maintain controlled conditions. The enclosure plays a central role in keeping conditioned air where it belongs and supporting reliable operation over the long term.
The different panel systems allowed the team to address distinct requirements. NOREX® polyisocyanurate panels provide high thermal performance, while NOROC® panels incorporate a non-combustible mineral fiber core for applications requiring fire resistance.
A large project on a fast-track schedule
Scale was only one part of the challenge.
The project began in October 2023 and was delivered at the end of 2024, giving the team approximately 13 to 14 months to move from design through construction and delivery. With dozens of contractors working toward the same milestones, the schedule placed additional importance on supplier responsiveness. Decisions needed to be made quickly, information had to move between teams and materials had to arrive when the jobsite was ready for them.
Collaboration from design through commissioning
With this many interconnected systems, collaboration was not simply about efficiency. It was fundamental to coordinating and delivering the facility successfully.
Norbec was involved early, working alongside Lactalis, GKC, Broccolini and other partners through product selection, design development, shop drawings and installation details. That involvement continued through delivery. The working relationship was built around expertise, responsiveness and trust, with the schedule being addressed without compromising the expected level of quality.
Norbec’s technical support also extended to the practical details that become increasingly important once construction begins, including penetrations, finished-product considerations and coordination meetings.
Part of a bigger strategy
The insulated metal panel system formed one part of a much larger strategy, one designed around storage capacity, temperature control, energy performance, food safety, constructability and the future needs of Lactalis Canada.
The result reflects what can happen when enclosure design, refrigeration, construction sequencing and operational requirements are considered together from the outset.
Go behind the build. Watch the complete Lactalis video series to hear directly from Lactalis Canada, Broccolini and GKC Architecture and Design about the vision, technical decisions, challenges and collaboration behind the Oshawa Distribution Centre.
About Lactalis Canada Inc.
With over 140 years of brand heritage, Lactalis Canada is the Canadian dairy leader behind iconic brands Cracker Barrel, Black Diamond, P’tit Québec, Balderson, Cheestrings Ficello, aMOOza!, Astro, Khaas, siggi’s, IÖGO, IÖGO nanö, Olympic, Lactantia, Beatrice, Bfit, Enjoy!, Marie Morin Canada, Galbani, and Président. Lactalis Canada is part of Lactalis Group, the world’s leading dairy company, headquartered in Laval, France. For more information, visit www.lactalis.ca
