Cold Chain Engineering
Design of refrigerated storage, cold rooms, racking, dock interfaces, and logistics infrastructure that supports stable temperatures, controlled material movement, and cGMP storage expectations.
Protect sensitive chemicals and buffers with cGMP cold storage solutions engineered for temperature stability, cleanability, safety, and audit readiness. Hixson integrates architecture, refrigeration, HVAC, controls, utilities, and validation-supportive documentation to help pharmaceutical and biotech teams maintain product integrity, manage compliance risk, and plan flexible cold environments for current operations and future capacity across complex facilities and programs.

Integrated design and engineering services for compliant, controlled, and scalable chemical and buffer storage environments.
Design of refrigerated storage, cold rooms, racking, dock interfaces, and logistics infrastructure that supports stable temperatures, controlled material movement, and cGMP storage expectations.
Engineering for ammonia, freon, and CO2-based refrigeration systems, including controls integration, cold storage system documentation, and PSM-aware refrigeration planning for regulated facilities.
Architecture and engineering for pharma and biotech spaces, including controlled environments, clean utilities, compliant finishes, HVAC pressurization, and documentation supporting IQ/OQ/PQ validation.
Automation strategy, PLC and HMI development, network design, FAT/SAT support, and monitoring integration for cold storage alarms, data visibility, and operational control.
Coordinated mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, structural, and civil engineering to support refrigeration loads, utilities, drainage, safety systems, and facility reliability.
Process safety and hazard analysis for facilities handling chemicals, flammable materials, ammonia refrigeration, cryogenic gases, and other risks associated with controlled storage environments.
Cold storage for chemicals and buffers must perform as a controlled, documented part of the manufacturing environment—not just a refrigerated room. Hixson aligns refrigeration, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, process layouts, controls, and safety reviews so storage areas support material flow, segregation, temperature monitoring, alarm response, qualification, and long-term cGMP operational reliability for critical inventories.

Hixson supports complex facility programs for recognized food, beverage, pharmaceutical, biotech, and laboratory organizations.
Hixson brings integrated technical depth to regulated cold storage design.
Over 75 years designing regulated facilities for pharma, biotech, laboratories, and manufacturing clients.
Twenty in-house disciplines coordinate architecture, refrigeration, controls, utilities, safety, and documentation from one source.
Hazard analysis, PSM awareness, and validation-supportive deliverables help reduce compliance and operational risk.
Project management, cost estimating, and construction administration teams keep complex cold storage programs aligned.
Experienced managers guide integrated cGMP facility design and delivery.

Manager, Plumbing Systems & Fire Protection Engineering
John oversees the department responsible for the design and engineering of plumbing systems and fire protection engineering for a variety of project types, including new construction, building utility upgrades, utility capacity analyses, and process line additions. John and his team work with a range of systems, including domestic water, process water, hot water production, direct contact water heaters, high pressure/rinse water, compressed air, natural gas, sanitary drainage, process drainage, central sanitation systems, fire pumps, and fire sprinkler systems.

Manager, Controls & Automation Engineering
As the Manager of Hixson's Controls & Automation department, Craig guides the team responsible for designing, implementing, and commissioning advanced control systems and automation solutions. His responsibilities include overseeing the development of automation strategies that streamline manufacturing processes, enhance operational efficiency, and ensure seamless integration of new and existing systems.

Manager, Process Engineering
Warren leads the team providing processing design services, process optimization studies, and process commissioning and FAT, SAT, and IQ activities. He advises on waste, energy, and GHG emissions reductions, and conducts safety and dust evaluations, including PSM/HAZOP. His expertise spans all food and beverage sectors including fluid, dried and cultured dairy products, processed meat, flavors, and prepared foods. Warren is also on the IDFA Food Safety Committee and actively participates in the 3A, SSI steering committee, and work groups.

Manager, Civil Engineering
In his role as Manager of Civil Engineering, Steve leads the team responsible for the planning, design, and engineering of roads, stormwater hydraulics and modeling, and onsite utilities. On project work, Steve is responsible for civil site project design, specifications, technical design, and project coordination with the client, government regulatory bodies, outside consultants, and contractors. As a senior staff member with our firm, Steve also serves as a mentor to newer associates.

Vice President & Director, Project Management Services
Chris, a Hixson officer and member of the Board of Directors, oversees Hixson’s Project Management, Cost Estimating, and Construction Administration departments. Chris also serves in a project management role, leading teams consisting of representatives from the client, Hixson, contractors, and vendors to effective project completion. Chris assumes overall responsibility for development of project delivery strategies, coordination of all Hixson disciplines, and facilitating effective communication and management to focus resources on delivering high-quality projects on time and within budget.

Manager, Mechanical Engineering
Dave brings more than three decades of experience to his role as the Manager of Hixson’s Mechanical Engineering Department. His work has included the design and project management of new facilities, as well as modification of existing facilities for high technology and food processing industries. At a corporate level, Dave is a member of Hixson’s Dairy and Beverage Industry team, which works to continuously improve the value Hixson offers to the dairy industry through development of our knowledge base, services and capabilities.

Manager, Electrical Engineering
Kyle serves as the Manager of Hixson’s Electrical Engineering department. In this role, he oversees the team responsible for the creation and delivery of electrical designs. This includes the design of high, medium, and low voltage power distribution, lighting, telecommunications, and fire alarm systems. Kyle brings more than 15 years of experience in electrical consulting and design to his role. Areas in which Kyle specializes include electrically hazardous area classification, high- and medium-voltage power distribution, protective relaying, arc flash studies, harmonics analysis, cogeneration design, emergency systems design, and complex laboratory designs.

Senior Vice President, and Director, Mechanical & Electrical Engineering
Scott, an officer of the firm, leads the teams responsible for mechanical and electrical project tasks and design, specifications, technical content, consultation during equipment selection and installation and systems start-up assistance. In addition, Scott also serves as the Quality Assurance Manager, overseeing the firm’s commitment to quality. Over Scott’s more than three decades of experience, he has worked on greenfield, brownfield, and renovation projects for food & beverage plants in all sectors, labs, pharma & biotech facilities, and workplace projects.

Manager, Manufacturing Engineering
In his role as Manager of Hixson’s Manufacturing Engineering department, Scott leads the team responsible for project consulting and coordination between client, vendor, and internal disciplines within Hixson for overall manufacturing processes, functionality, equipment, and layouts. These team members develop process flow diagrams, equipment lists, and preliminary utility requirements, as well as develop equipment layouts that range from high level master planning to detailed construction documents. In addition to this role, Scott is a member of Hixson’s Meat Industry advisory team, focusing on technologies related to the meat and plant protein industry.

Director of Architecture
Derek is the Director of Hixson’s Architecture department. In this role, Derek leads the teams who design projects for our Food & Beverage, Pharma & Biotech, Laboratory, and Workplace clients. Previously, Derek served as the Manager of Hixson’s Process Layout department, where he directed the team that plays a critical coordination role in the overall development of process models and the 3D equipment model management process. Prior to these management roles, Derek, who began his career with Hixson in 2008, served as a Project Architect.
GMP means Good Manufacturing Practice, while cGMP means Current Good Manufacturing Practice. The “current” requirement emphasizes using up-to-date methods, technologies, controls, documentation practices, and quality systems. In cold storage, cGMP expectations may influence temperature monitoring, calibration, alarm response, cleaning, segregation, data integrity, and qualification documentation so the facility reflects accepted modern regulatory practice.
Talk with Hixson’s engineering team about your facility requirements.
Certified workplace supporting experienced technical teams.
Ranked No. 178 by Interior Design magazine.
Recognized across core architecture and engineering sectors.
Share your chemical and buffer storage requirements, temperature ranges, operational goals, and compliance concerns. Hixson’s integrated team can help define a practical path forward.
For immediate assistance, feel free to give us a direct call at +1 513-241-1230. You can also send us a quick email at info@hixson-inc.com.
For immediate assistance, feel free to give us a direct call at +1 513-241-1230. You can also send us a quick email at info@hixson-inc.com.