Lineage Logistics has appointed Mike McClendon to serve as president of Lineage Europe in support of the Novi, Michigan, USA-headquartered company’s expanding global presence. He will oversee business in that region and be responsible for identifying strategic growth opportunities, while continuing to serve as executive vice president for network optimization.
Michael McClendon “Our European operations are critical to Lineage’s ability to create bespoke logistics solutions for our customers on an international scale, and I am confident Mike is the right leader to achieve alignment and nurture growth overseas,” said President and CEO Greg Lehmkuhl.
Lineage, a holding of the San Francisco-based Bay Grove Capital private equity company, has a network of cold storage warehouses in the Netherlands, Belgium and the United Kingdom, in addition to the United States. The facilities store a myriad of food commodities that include beef, poultry, pork, seafood, baked goods, ice creams, fruits and vegetables, as well as value-added ready meals.
Lineage’s sprawling cold storage warehouse in Bergen op Zoom is one of five facilities serving the frozen food industry across the Netherlands.“We are now better positioned than ever to expand in new and existing global markets and partner with customers across their international supply chains,” said McClendon. “I am passionate about our industry and excited to be part of Lineage’s remarkable growth story.”
McClendon brings to his expanded role nearly 25 years of leadership experience in the global cold chain industry. He served as president of Richmond Cold Storage until the organization’s acquisition by Lineage in 2011, after which he continued to lead operations in the Eastern United States. Since 2016 he has focused on the company’s strategic growth through acquisition, expansion and capital deployment.
“Mike’s deep experience in the global cold storage industry and demonstrated excellence in executing high-impact capital projects are an ideal and unique combination to ensure Lineage’s continued success internationally,” said Lehmkuhl. “I look forward to seeing how his leadership will help shape the future of our dynamic organization.”
Lineage Logistics’ recently announced planned acquisition of Preferred Freezer Services’ 390 million cubic feet of refrigerated warehouse space, which is expected to be finalized later this year, will make it the largest operator of cold storage facilities in the world with 1.3 billion cubic feet of space available to customers.
