AUSTINTOWN — United Freezer and Storage Co. has received $21,000 from the state to support rail upgrades at its North Meridian Road facility.

The grant from the Ohio Rail Development Commission will help with $42,000 in improvements to a rail spur at the site that will allow the company to receive 72-foot rail cars, according to a release from the Youngstown Warren Regional Chamber, which helped the company acquire the grant.

The exapanded capability will let United Freezer better serve its customers and secure new business.

“As a small regional player in the third-party warehousing arena, this grant is very important to us and will make a huge impact with securing the rail business, which is retiring the smaller 50-foot railcars,” said United Freezer and Storage President John Pendel.

United Freezer and Storage was founded in 1950 and has operated as a warehouse and distribution center that provides logistical support for local, regional and national companies.

It has more than 700,000 square feet of office space and cold and climate-controlled storage in multiple buildings.

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