AMERICOLD REALTY TRUST (COLD)

Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. In addition, the following discussion contains forward-looking statements, such as statements regarding our expectation for future performance, liquidity and capital resources, that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations. Our actual results may differ materially from those contained in or implied by any forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause such differences include, but are not limited to, those identified below and those described in Part I of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q under "Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements", and "Risk Factors” in Item 1A of Part I of our 2025 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Management’s Overview

Americold Realty Trust, Inc. together with its subsidiaries (“ART”, “Americold”, the “Company”, “us” or “we”) is a Maryland corporation that operates as a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Americold is a global leader in temperature-controlled logistics and real estate, supporting the safe, efficient movement of food worldwide. We connect producers, processors, distributors, and retailers. Leveraging deep industry expertise, advanced technology, and sustainable practices, Americold delivers reliable cold storage and transportation solutions that create lasting value for customers and communities. As of June 30, 2026, the Company operated 224 warehouses globally, totaling approximately 1.4 billion cubic feet, with 179 warehouses in North America, 23 warehouses in Europe, 20 warehouses in Asia-Pacific, and 2 warehouses in South America.

As of June 30, 2026, our business includes two primary business segments: Warehouse and Transportation. We also have a minority interest in one joint venture: RSA Cold Holdings Limited (the “RSA joint venture”), which operates 2 temperature-controlled warehouses in Dubai.

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Joint Venture Formation

On May 7, 2026, the Company announced the signing of a joint venture agreement with EQT Partners (“EQT”), one of the world’s largest private equity investors, to create a new North American joint venture focused on the ownership, operation, and development of high-quality cold storage warehouse facilities.

Under the terms of the agreement, EQT and the Company will hold 70% and 30% equity interests, respectively, in the new venture. At inception, the Company will contribute 12 cold storage facilities to the joint venture and expects to receive proceeds from such transfer, which will be used to pay down outstanding indebtedness of the Company. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions.

Segment Reorganization

As of January 1, 2026, the Company revised the operating segment information regularly provided to the Company's Chief Operating Decision Maker (the “CODM”) to combine the Warehouse and the former Third-party managed operating segments. As a result of this change, the Company now has two reportable operating segments: Warehouse and Transportation. All prior period comparative financial information has been recast to reflect the revised segment structure. See Note 10 - Segment Information for additional information of the Company's reportable segments.

Business Strategy

Our strategy is focused on disciplined execution, capital efficiency, and proactive asset management to enhance operating and financial performance, increase cash flows from operations, and create long-term stockholder value. We leverage the scale, density, and flexibility of our global temperature-controlled warehouse network to support customers across the cold chain, drive organic growth within our existing portfolio, and optimize physical and economic utilization. As an owner and operator of specialized cold-storage real estate, we actively manage our portfolio to maintain financial flexibility, support evolving customer requirements, and create value through selective development and portfolio optimization. We continue to emphasize operational excellence, cost discipline, and service reliability, supported by standardized processes and ongoing technology investments. While food remains our primary end market, our facilities also support adjacent temperature-sensitive categories and, where appropriate, non-temperature-sensitive goods. We believe these strategies position us to benefit from continued customer outsourcing, e-commerce growth, and evolving distribution models.

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Key Factors Affecting Our Business and Financial Results

Retail Automation and Other Real Estate Related Impairments

On July 21, 2026, Americold Realty Trust, Inc. entered into an agreement with ADUSA Distribution, a subsidiary of Ahold Delhaize USA and a customer of the Company, pursuant to which the Company and ADUSA Distribution agreed to wind down operations at the Company's automated retail distribution center in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and Plainville, Connecticut, both of which were purpose-developed for ADUSA Distribution's use.

As a result of the agreement described above, together with other real estate-related impairments recognized during the period, the Company recorded impairment charges of $309.6 million during the six months ended June 30, 2026, which were recognized within Impairment of long-lived assets on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.

During the six months ended June 30, 2025, the Company recorded impairment charges of $5.2 million primarily related to the exit or anticipated exit of certain warehouse operations.

Project Orion

In February 2023, the Company announced Project Orion (“Project Orion”), a multi‑year transformation initiative focused on modernizing technology platforms and business processes to support future growth and operational efficiency. Project Orion includes the implementation of a new cloud‑based enterprise resource planning (“ERP”) system (“Orion – Oracle”) and other transformation initiatives (“Orion – Transformation”). The Orion – Oracle implementation is substantially complete, with the exception of deployment in Europe. The Company recognized $11.1 million and $15.4 million in total costs related to Project Orion during the three months ended June 30, 2026 and 2025, respectively. The total costs related to Project Orion during the six months ended June 30, 2026 and 2025 were $17.0 million and $26.9 million, respectively.

Massillon Acquisition

On March 18, 2026, the Company completed the acquisition of Massillon (the “Massillon acquisition”), a previously leased warehouse facility located in Massillon, Ohio, for total consideration of $18.7 million. The Company purchased the property for investment purposes, intending to hold it for rental income and capital appreciation.

Significant Risks and Uncertainties

Certain industry and macroeconomic conditions have affected the operating environment for cold storage providers. These include increased speculative development, which has intensified competition and pricing dynamics, as well as inflationary and regulatory factors that have influenced consumer spending patterns and, indirectly, demand from food producers and retailers. To the extent these conditions impact operating performance over time, they may cause us to adjust our assumptions and estimates of future cash flows and fair value and increase the risk of impairment of certain long-lived assets.

For a more robust discussion of risks associated with the Company and its operating results, see “Risk Factors” in the Company’s 2025 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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Seasonality

We provide services to food producers, distributors, retailers, and e-tailers whose businesses, in some cases, are seasonal or cyclical. To help mitigate revenue and earnings volatility associated with seasonality, we have implemented fixed-commitment contracts with certain customers, under which customers pay for guaranteed warehouse space to maintain required inventory levels, particularly during periods of peak physical occupancy.

Historically, on a portfolio-wide basis, physical occupancy rates have generally been lowest during May and June and have typically increased thereafter as a result of annual harvests and customer inventory build in advance of end-of-year holidays, with occupancy often peaking between mid-September and early December. Higher-than-average occupancy levels in October or November have historically resulted in higher revenues. However, these historical seasonal patterns are not always indicative of current or future results, and in recent periods, challenging demand conditions and other factors impacting the business have resulted in occupancy levels and revenue trends that are not aligned with typical seasonal expectations.

Seasonality is mitigated, in part, by the diversity of our customer base and product mix, as peak demand for various products occurs at different times of the year (for example, demand for ice cream is typically highest in the summer, while demand for frozen turkeys usually peaks in the late fall). In addition, our southern hemisphere operations in Australia, New Zealand, and South America help balance seasonal impacts across our global portfolio, as growing and harvesting cycles in those regions are complementary to those in North America and Europe. Each of our warehouses establishes operating hours based on customer demand, which varies by location and over time.

Financial Trends and Uncertainties

Management believes that recent and future operating results may continue to be impacted by broader macroeconomic conditions, including consumer spending conservatism, persistent inflationary pressures, tariff-related uncertainty, and reductions in government-sponsored benefits. These factors have collectively influenced purchasing behavior, which in turn affect our customers’ production volumes and the corresponding demand for our temperature-controlled storage and handling services. The cold storage industry has also experienced increased speculative capacity, particularly in key distribution markets, which has increased competition. Management believes these trends are reasonably likely to continue to impact future results; however, despite these headwinds, we remain focused on disciplined cost control, delivering high-quality customer service, and investing in areas of the business that offer the greatest long-term value.

How We Assess the Performance of Our Business

Segment Contribution Net Operating Income (“NOI”)

We evaluate the performance of our primary business segments based on their NOI contribution to our overall results of operations which aligns with how our decision makers evaluate performance.

•Warehouse segment contribution NOI is calculated as Warehouse segment revenues less its cost of operations excluding any Depreciation and amortization, corporate-level Selling, general, and administrative expense, corporate-level Transactions, strategic initiatives and other costs, net, Impairment of long-lived assets, Net gain from sale of real estate, and all components of Other (expense) income.

•Warehouse rent and storage contribution NOI is calculated as warehouse rent and storage revenues less power and other facilities costs.

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•Warehouse services contribution NOI is calculated as warehouse services revenues less labor and other service costs.

•Transportation segment contribution NOI is calculated as Transportation segment revenues less its cost of operations excluding any Depreciation and amortization, corporate-level Selling, general, and administrative expense, corporate-level Transactions, stra

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ITEM 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. In addition, the following discussion contains forward-looking statements, such as statements regarding our expectation for future performance, liquidity and capital resources, that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations. Our actual results may differ materially from those contained in or implied by any forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause such differences include those identified below and those described under Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Refer to our Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed on February 27, 2025, for a discussion of the comparative results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.

Management’s Overview

Americold Realty Trust, Inc. together with its subsidiaries (“ART”, “Americold”, the “Company”, “us” or “we”) is a Maryland corporation that operates as a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Americold is a global leader in temperature-controlled logistics and real estate, supporting the safe, efficient movement of food worldwide. We connect producers, processors, distributors, and retailers. Leveraging deep industry expertise, advanced technology, and sustainable practices, Americold delivers reliable cold storage and transportation solutions that create lasting value for customers and communities. As of December 31, 2025, the Company operated 231 warehouses globally, totaling approximately 1.4 billion cubic feet, with 188 warehouses in North America, 23 warehouses in Europe, 18 warehouses in Asia-Pacific, and 2 warehouses in South America.

As of December 31, 2025, our business includes three primary business segments: Warehouse, Transportation and Third-Party Managed. We also have a minority interest in one joint venture: RSA Cold Holdings Limited (the “RSA joint venture”), which operates 2 temperature-controlled warehouses in Dubai.

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Business Strategy

Our strategy is focused on disciplined execution, capital efficiency, and proactive asset management to enhance operating and financial performance, increase cash flows from operations, and create long-term stockholder value. We leverage the scale, density, and flexibility of our global temperature-controlled warehouse network to support customers across the cold chain, drive organic growth within our existing portfolio, and optimize physical and economic utilization. As an owner and operator of specialized cold-storage real estate, we actively manage our portfolio to maintain financial flexibility, support evolving customer requirements, and create value through selective development and portfolio optimization. We continue to emphasize operational excellence, cost discipline, and service reliability, supported by standardized processes and ongoing technology investments. While food remains our primary end market, our facilities also support adjacent temperature-sensitive categories and, where appropriate, non-temperature-sensitive goods. We believe these strategies position us to benefit from continued customer outsourcing, e-commerce growth, and evolving distribution models.

Key Factors Affecting Our Business and Financial Results

Project Orion

In February 2023, we announced our transformation program “Project Orion” designed to drive future growth and achieve our long-term strategic objectives, through investment in our technology systems and business processes across our global platform. The project includes the implementation of a new, best-in-class, cloud-based enterprise resource planning (“ERP”) software system as well as other transformation related initiatives including artificial intelligence related projects and market expansion initiatives. The primary goals of this project are to streamline standard processes, reduce manual work and incrementally improve our business analytics capabilities. Highlights of the project include implementing centralized customer billing operations, a global payroll and human capital management platform, next-generation warehouse maintenance capabilities, global procurement functionality and shared-service operations in certain international regions, among others. We expect the benefits of these initiatives to include revenue and margin improvements through pricing data and analytics and heightened customer contract governance, finance and human resources cost reductions, information technology (“IT”) applications and infrastructure rationalization, reduced associate turnover, working capital efficiency and reduced IT maintenance capital expenditures. We refer to the Project Orion ERP activities as “Orion - Oracle” and all other Project Orion transformation activities as “Orion - Transformation”. The activities associated with Orion - Oracle are substantially complete, with the exception of the implementation in Europe. Since inception, the Company has incurred $227.7 million of total implementation costs related to Project Orion, including expenses reported in “Acquisition, cyber incident, and other, net” on the Consolidated Statements of Operations and costs deferred in “Other assets”, and to a lesser extent within “Assets under construction” on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The unamortized balance of the Project Orion deferred costs recognized within Other Assets was $88.6 million and $80.5 million as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively.

During the three months ended June 30, 2024, the Company deployed Project Orion in North America and Asia Pacific related to Orion - Oracle activities. The implementation costs deferred within “Other assets” on the Consolidated Balance Sheets are now being amortized through “Selling, general, and administrative” expense on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The useful lives of the Company’s internal-use software and capitalized cloud computing implementation costs are generally three to five years. However, the useful lives of major information system installations, such as the implementation of Project Orion related systems and software, are determined on an individual basis and may exceed five years depending on the estimated period of use. The Company has determined the useful life of the Project Orion related systems and software associated with the deployment of Project Orion in North America and Asia Pacific to be ten years and is amortizing the costs associated with such implementation on a straight line basis over such period. The amortization expense

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recognized during the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 related to Project Orion was $15.1 million and $4.2 million, respectively.

Loss on Debt Extinguishment

During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company purchased 11 facilities in the Company’s lease portfolio that were previously accounted for as failed sale-leaseback financing obligations. Total cash outflows related to these purchases of $191.0 million are included within “Termination of sale-leaseback financing obligations” on the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the year ended December 31, 2024.

These purchases resulted in the recognition of a $115.1 million loss on debt extinguishment during the year ended December 31, 2024. These amounts are recognized within “Loss on debt extinguishment and termination of derivative instruments” on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Refer to Note 11 - Sale-Leasebacks of Real Estate for further details.

Loss on Sale of Real Estate

During the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company exited 2 facilities in the Company’s lease portfolio that were previously accounted for as failed sale-leaseback financing obligations. These exits resulted in a $55.9 million loss, recognized within “Net loss (gain) from sale of real estate” on the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the year ended December 31, 2025. Refer to Note 11 - Sale-Leasebacks of Real Estate for further details.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

For the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company recorded long-lived asset impairment charges of $47.1 million primarily due to the anticipated exit of certain warehouses. For the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company recorded long-lived asset impairment charges of $33.1 million for the anticipated exit of certain warehouse and transportation related operations.

Seasonality

We provide services to food producers, distributors, retailers, and e-tailers whose businesses, in some cases, are seasonal or cyclical. To help mitigate revenue and earnings volatility associated with seasonality, we have implemented fixed-commitment contracts with certain customers, under which customers pay for guaranteed warehouse space to maintain required inventory levels, particularly during periods of peak physical occupancy.

Historically, on a portfolio-wide basis, physical occupancy rates have generally been lowest during May and June and have typically increased thereafter as a result of annual harvests and customer inventory build in advance of end-of-year holidays, with occupancy often peaking between mid-September and early December. Higher-than-average occupancy levels in October or November have historically resulted in higher revenues. However, these historical seasonal patterns are not always indicative of current or future results, and in recent periods, challenging demand conditions and other factors impacting the business have resulted in occupancy levels and revenue trends that are not aligned with typical seasonal expectations.

Seasonality is mitigated, in part, by the diversity of our customer base and product mix, as peak demand for various products occurs at different times of the year (for example, demand for ice cream is typically highest in the summer, while demand for frozen turkeys usually peaks in the late fall). In addition, our southern hemisphere

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operations in Australia, New Zealand, and South America help balance seasonal impacts across our global portfolio, as growing and harvesting cycles in those regions are complementary to those in North America and Europe. Each of our warehouses establishes operating hours based on customer demand, which varies by location and over time.

Financial Trends and Uncertainties

Management believes that recent and future operating results may continue to be impacted by broader macroeconomic conditions, including consumer spending conservatism, persistent inflationary pressures, tariff-related uncertainty, and reductions in government-sponsored benefits. These factors have collectively influenced purchasing behavior, which in turn affect our customers’ production volumes and the corresponding demand for our temperature-controlled storage and handling services. The cold storage industry has also experienced increased speculative capacity, particularly in key distribution markets, which has increased competition. Management believes these trends are reasonably likely to continue to impact future results; however, despite these headwinds, we remain focused on disciplined cost control, delivering high-quality customer service, and investing in areas of the business that offer the greatest long-term value.

Foreign Currency Translation Impact on Our Operations

Our consolidated revenues and expenses are impacted by foreign currency fluctuations, which can significantly affect our results. However, revenues and expenses from our international operations are typically denominated in the local currency of the country in which they are derived, which partially mitigates the impact of foreign currency fluctuations. See below for further details of con

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