We take pride in our storied and remarkable 75+ year history in the cold storage industry. Throughout our decades of service, we’ve experienced significant growth and evolution, continuously enhancing our capabilities and expanding our reach. We invite you to explore our journey, which showcases our longstanding commitment to our customers, community, and employees.
OUR LEGACY
1920's
Cecil “Jack” (CJ) Williams, a World War One veteran, emigrated from England to Canada to work the wheat fields, and then relocated to Chicago and started working in a truck garage.
1930's
CJ Williams moved to Milwaukee, WI, and started his own trucking company, Hillside Garage & Transit.
1947
As an outgrowth of the grocery delivery business, CJ Williams founded Central Storage & Warehouse Co., in Madison, WI, as a produce terminal.
1950's
By the ‘50s, Hillside Transit had diversified into hauling fuel oil, and CJ Williams’ son Ken began occasionally working for the company on the docks and in a truck. Ken would later go on to a brief stint in the Marines and then running his own trucking and distributing companies.
1955
Recognizing his industry leadership, members of the American Trucking Association elected CJ Williams as President of the Association.
1964
CSW moved from its downtown location in Madison to a more modern east side location near US Highway 51.
1965-1979
Central Storage grew rapidly. CSW Madison expanded 6 times, and an Eau Claire location was launched in 1965, which was expanded 4 times in this period.
1973
With the death of founder CJ Williams, the company ownership passed into a voting trust consisting of Mrs. Peg Williams, as CSW’s President and Chairman of the Board of Directors, her son Ken, who returned to the company at his father’s request to oversee all operations, and her daughter Gwen Sharratt, along with two company attorneys.
1980's
Growth continued at CSW with additions in Madison and Eau Claire of over 2 million cu. ft. each, the purchase of a Wausau warehouse, and the construction of a Menomonie one.
1991
In the spring of 1991, a devastating fire broke out at the Madison facility. Thanks to loyal customers, CSW kept all of its employees, expedited rebuilding, and returned to full operation that fall.
1992
CSW partnered with Northland Cranberries in Wisconsin Rapids to build a cranberry processing and private storage facility. Northland eventually purchased the facility outright.
1993
With settlement money from the 1991 fire, CSW built a new, state of the art facility in Pleasant Prairie, WI to serve southeast Wisconsin and northern Illinois.
1995
With the passing of Mrs. Peg Williams, Mr. Ken Williams assumed the roles of CSW CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors. Through share purchase from the other shareholders, Ken became sole owner, CEO, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of CSW.
2009
CSW moved from its original Eau Claire building to a new facility. Taking advantage of modern building materials and technologies, the new facility required only about 1/3 the electrical power.
2010-2014
CSW again went on an expansion run, finally rebuilding to full, pre-fire size in Madison, adding 1.5 million cu. ft. of freezer in Pleasant Prairie, and then another 3 million cu. ft. in Pleasant Prairie.
2015
In a major move towards improved sustainability, CSW installed Wisconsin’s largest rooftop solar installation at the Madison facility, generating an amazing 741kW of peak electricity.
2016
To support bio-science customer logistics, CSW launched an innovative new ultra-cold freezer in Pleasant Prairie, operating at -70F.
2017
In recognition of 70 years of exemplary leadership as an employer and a corporate citizen, CSW won a Wisconsin Family Business of the Year Award. The judges found notable “the company’s dedication to employees, innovation, its active participation in the communities it serves, and its grit and determination to flourish in both good times and bad.”
2018
CSW added to its industry-leading adoption of clean energy by adding 746kW of solar power generation to its Kenosha facility rooftop. This installation brings CSW's total annual generation to 1.5 megawatts and puts CSW back in lead as Wisconsin's leading provider of rooftop solar electric.
2019
CSW added a completely new location in Caledonia (Racine County), Wisconsin providing over 3 million cubic feet of frozen space just off interstate 94 to further service customers in southeast Wisconsin and northern Illinois.
OUR LEGACY
CSW was officially founded in 1947, but has roots going back to WW1.
Check out significant events in company history on our timeline.
CSW Wall of Honor | Celebrating Our Retirees & Their Contribution to Our Success
OUR EMPLOYEES
Our success is built on a People-First philosophy and a collaborative, Team-Based approach that creates value for both customers and employees. This empowering management style develops true industry expertise from the bottom up and fosters long-term employee loyalty, often spanning decades.