The Controlled Environment Building Association (CEBA) has officially announced the winners of the 2025 Built by the Best Awards, recognizing excellence in the design and construction of temperature-controlled facilities. This year’s awards highlight standout projects from the United Kingdom and the United States, reflecting the industry’s innovation, complexity, and commitment to performance and sustainability.
In the Controlled Environment, Cold Storage & Distribution Warehouses category, Sadel Group received top honors for its Magnavale Easton facility in Grantham, UK. The project features a fully automated high-bay frozen warehouse operating at -18°C, with a total capacity of 101,000 pallet positions, including over-height storage. The design integrates an advanced ASRS system with dual monorails, 3,000 meters of conveyors across three floors, a bespoke control system, and a 3.5 MW two-stage refrigeration plant.
“We are incredibly proud to receive the CEBA Award, which recognizes the dedication, innovation, and collaboration of everyone involved in developing the Magnavale Easton cold store facility,” said Andrew Lawrence, Director of Sadel Group.
In the Special Works Projects category, Griffco Design/Build, Inc. was honored for its Scout Cold Logistics project in Lancaster, Texas, USA. The 88,115-square-foot (approx. 8,188 m²) box-in-box cold storage facility was constructed inside a 551,000-square-foot (approx. 51,180 m²) warehouse for a global meal kit provider. Key features include multiple temperature zones, high/low-care areas, three occupancy types, and the use of BIM and digital twin modeling. The facility incorporates a custom smoke/heat ventilation system and sustainability-focused elements such as freon-based refrigeration, upgraded drainage, and structural reinforcements.
“Delivering this complex project on time and within budget was a true team effort,” said Scott Griffin, Founder & CEO of Griffco Design/Build, Inc.
Finalists for the 2025 awards included Ti Cold for the Banks Cold Storage project in Georgia, USA, and Greek Design | Build for a project in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ti Cold’s facility, a 210,000-square-foot cold storage center, features 30,000 pallet positions and a low-charge ammonia refrigeration system, supporting the Southeastern US cold chain sector.
Honorable Mentions were awarded to companies from the United States, Canada, and Kenya.
Finalist presentations and judging were held during the CEBA Annual Conference & Expo on November 5, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada, where industry leaders gathered to showcase and celebrate the most advanced and impactful projects in controlled environment construction.
