Congebec’s Mascouche Cold-Storage Hub Lands Top 3 at the 2026 BRCGS Awards

In the food and beverage industry, the cold chain is where reputations are quietly made or broken. A single traceability gap or temperature lapse can unravel a brand before a product ever reaches the shelf. So when a cold-storage operator earns top-tier recognition for food safety, procurement directors and foodservice executives should take note.Congebec just did exactly that. The Canadian logistics provider announced that its Mascouche facility was named top 3 for the BRCGS Certificated Site of the Year Award for the Americas at the 2026 BRCGS Awards in Nashville—one of three finalists singled out for food safety culture, quality systems, operational discipline and continuous improvement.

A New-Build Freezer Built for the Modern Cold Chain

Opened in 2023 on Montreal’s North Shore, Mascouche is Congebec’s newest construction—and it was engineered from the ground up for exactly this kind of recognition. The industrial freezer offers more than nine million cubic feet of capacity and layers in automation, a highly efficient thermal building envelope and a CO₂ refrigeration system.

The Numbers Behind the Nomination

This isn’t a one-off accolade. The Mascouche facility achieved a BRCGS AA rating in 2024, 2025 and 2026, with zero non-conformities recorded in both the 2024 and 2026 audits. That kind of consistency comes from tight collaboration among Operations, Quality Assurance, Maintenance and the frontline employees who safeguard customers’ products—at Mascouche and across Congebec’s Canadian network.Congebec upholds both BRCGS and SQF certification standards, including dual certification at select sites. Its Boucherville and Godin facilities have also earned BRCGS AA ratings with zero non-conformities.The nomination was backed by customer testimonials describing Congebec as professional, responsive and dependable. The supporting letters highlighted traceability, positive audit experiences, accurate follow-up and the company’s commitment to food safety, quality and continuous improvement.

“This recognition confirms that Mascouche is operating among the best facilities in our industry,” said Nicholas-P Pedneault, CEO of Congebec. “While we would have been honoured to receive the top award, being selected from a strong field is a source of pride and motivation for our entire organization.”

Energy-Conscious Infrastructure as a Competitive Edge

Mascouche also doubles as a showcase for modern, energy-conscious cold-storage design. Among its features:

• • • Lithium smart batteries for material-handling equipment
    • Energy-regeneration systems
    • EV charging stations
    • Air curtains and high-insulation doors
    • Underfloor hot-glycol heating
    • High-performance building materials

For an industry under pressure to cut emissions and energy costs without compromising product integrity, those details matter as much as the certification badge.

Why It Matters

For restaurant operators, grocers, CPG brands and institutional buyers, a cold-storage partner’s food-safety track record is part of your own risk profile. A warehouse with a BRCGS AA rating and zero non-conformities across multiple audits is the kind of partner that insulates you from recalls, failed audits and the reputational fallout that follows.The practical takeaways for procurement and supply-chain leaders:

• • • Vet certifications, not just capacity. BRCGS and SQF ratings—and audit history—are a concrete way to compare 3PL and cold-storage partners beyond price per pallet.
    • Watch the energy story. CO₂ refrigeration, energy regeneration and EV-ready infrastructure can translate into more stable costs and a cleaner sustainability narrative you can pass along to your own customers.
    • Traceability is table stakes. The customer testimonials that lifted Congebec’s nomination leaned heavily on traceability and follow-up—exactly the capabilities that matter most when something goes wrong.

As food safety trends and supply-chain resilience climb the agenda for every foodservice executive, recognition like this is a useful benchmark for what “best in class” cold storage actually looks like.Where does your operation stand on cold-chain food safety—and is your logistics partner audit-ready? Share your take in the comments, and explore more cold-chain and food-safety coverage and industry innovation stories from Food & Beverage Magazine.

Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Top 40 Under 40” for founding American Wholesale Floral. Politz is also the founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.