Americold lifts executive change-in-control severance

Americold Realty Trust, Inc. (COLD) reported that its Compensation Committee approved and adopted the Amended and Restated Americold Logistics, LLC Executive Severance Benefits Plan, effective August 25, 2026.

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Americold Realty Trust, Inc. (COLD) reported that its Compensation Committee approved and adopted the Amended and Restated Americold Logistics, LLC Executive Severance Benefits Plan, effective August 25, 2026. The plan continues severance benefits for eligible executives upon certain qualifying terminations of employment.

For Executive Vice Presidents and Presidents, the cash severance multiple during a Change in Control Period was increased from 1.5x to 2.0x of the sum of annual base salary and target annual bonus. The plan also lengthens continued health, dental and vision coverage under COBRA during a Change in Control Period from 18 to 30 months for the Chief Executive Officer and from 12 to 24 months for Executive Vice Presidents and Presidents. All other material terms of the prior plan remain unchanged.

8-K Event Classification

2 items: 5.02, 9.01

2 items

Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers Governance

Key personnel changes including departures, elections, or appointments of directors and executive officers.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits Exhibits

Financial statements, pro forma financial information, or exhibit attachments filed with this report.

Key Figures

Executive VP/President cash severance multiple: 1.5x to 2.0x of annual base salary and target annual bonus CEO COBRA coverage period: 18 to 30 months Executive VP/President COBRA coverage period: 12 to 24 months +2 more

5 metrics

Executive VP/President cash severance multiple 1.5x to 2.0x of annual base salary and target annual bonus Increase for qualifying terminations during a Change in Control Period

CEO COBRA coverage period 18 to 30 months Extended continued health, dental and vision coverage during a Change in Control Period

Executive VP/President COBRA coverage period 12 to 24 months Extended continued health, dental and vision coverage during a Change in Control Period

Change in Control Period length 24 months On or within 24 months following a Change in Control

Effective date of A&R Plan August 25, 2026 Date the Amended and Restated Executive Severance Benefits Plan became effective

Key Terms

Amended and Restated, Executive Severance Benefits Plan, Change in Control Period, COBRA

4 terms

Amended and Restated regulatory

"approved and adopted the Amended and Restated Americold Logistics, LLC Executive"

Executive Severance Benefits Plan financial

"Americold Logistics, LLC Executive Severance Benefits Plan (the “A&R Plan”)"

Change in Control Period financial

"only in the event of certain qualifying terminations during a Change in Control Period"

COBRA regulatory

"continued health, dental and vision coverage under COBRA from 18 to 30 months"

COBRA is a U.S. federal law that lets employees and their dependents temporarily keep employer-sponsored health insurance after job loss, reduction in hours, or other qualifying events by paying the premiums themselves. Investors should care because offering COBRA can affect a company’s cash flow, administrative costs and legal disclosures when workforce changes occur—similar to a former club member paying to keep their membership active after leaving the club.

FAQ

AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

What did Americold Realty Trust (COLD) change in its executive severance plan?

Americold Realty Trust approved an Amended and Restated Executive Severance Benefits Plan effective August 25, 2026, increasing certain severance cash multiples and COBRA benefit periods for the CEO and Executive Vice Presidents/Presidents during a Change in Control Period, while leaving other material terms unchanged.

How did severance cash multiples change for COLD Executive Vice Presidents and Presidents?

For Executive Vice Presidents and Presidents, the cash severance multiple during a Change in Control Period increased from 1.5x to 2.0x the sum of annual base salary and target annual bonus, applicable only upon certain qualifying terminations of employment during that period.

What COBRA benefit changes were made for the COLD Chief Executive Officer?

For the Chief Executive Officer, continued health, dental and vision coverage under COBRA during a Change in Control Period was extended from 18 months to 30 months, applicable only in the event of certain qualifying terminations of employment during that period.

How did COBRA coverage change for COLD Executive Vice Presidents and Presidents?

For Executive Vice Presidents and Presidents, continued health, dental and vision coverage under COBRA during a Change in Control Period increased from 12 months to 24 months, and applies only upon certain qualifying terminations of employment during that period.

What is the Change in Control Period referenced by Americold Realty Trust (COLD)?

The Change in Control Period is defined as the period on or within 24 months following a Change in Control. The enhanced cash severance multiples and extended COBRA coverage apply only to qualifying terminations of employment occurring during this period.

Did Americold Realty Trust (COLD) change other material terms of its Existing Plan?

Americold Realty Trust states that, apart from the increased severance cash multiple and extended COBRA coverage during the Change in Control Period, the material terms of the Existing Plan remain unchanged in the Amended and Restated Executive Severance Benefits Plan.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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Available on EDGAR 08/31/2026 - 04:56 PM EDT Accepted by SEC EDGAR 08/31/2026 - 04:55 PM EDT Learn about SEC filing dates

AMERICOLD REALTY TRUST false 0001455863 0001455863 2026-08-25 2026-08-25

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) August 25, 2026

AMERICOLD REALTY TRUST, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Maryland		001-34723		93-0295215
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)		(Commission File Number)		(IRS Employer Identification No.)

10 Glenlake Parkway, South Tower, Suite 600
Atlanta, Georgia		30328
(Address of principal executive offices)		(Zip Code)

(678) 441-1400

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

☐ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class		Trading Symbol(s)		Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share		COLD		New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Item 5.02 — Departure of Directors of Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

Amendment and Restatement of Americold Logistics, LLC Executive Severance Benefits Plan

On August 25, 2026, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of Americold Realty Trust, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), approved and adopted the Amended and Restated Americold Logistics, LLC Executive Severance Benefits Plan (the “A&R Plan”), effective immediately. Capitalized terms used herein but not otherwise defined shall have the meaning given to such term in the A&R Plan.

The A&R Plan amends and restates the existing Americold Logistics, LLC Executive Severance Benefits Plan (the “Existing Plan”) and continues to provide severance benefits to eligible executives upon certain qualifying terminations of employment. The A&R Plan (i) increased the Executive Vice President and President cash severance multiple from one and one-half times (1.5x) to two times (2.0x) the sum of the annual base salary and target annual bonus and (ii) increased the continued health, dental and vision coverage under COBRA from 18 to 30 months for the Chief Executive Officer and from 12 to 24 months for Executive Vice Presidents and Presidents, in each case of (i) and (ii), only in the event of certain qualifying terminations during a Change in Control Period (i.e., on or within 24 months following a Change in Control).

Except as described above, the material terms of the Existing Plan remain unchanged.

The foregoing description of the A&R Plan is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the A&R Plan, which is attached hereto as Exhibit 10.1 and incorporated herein by reference.

Item 9.01 — Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits

Exhibit No.		Description
10.1		Amended and Restated Americold Logistics, LLC Executive Severance Benefits Plan, effective August 25, 2026
104		Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

Date: August 31, 2026

AMERICOLD REALTY TRUST, INC.
By:		/s/ Christopher J. Papa
		Name: Christopher J. Papa
		Title: Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President

Filing Exhibits & Attachments

4 documents

Agreements & Contracts

• EX-10.1 EX-10.1 104.8 KB

Other Documents

• EX-101 XBRL TAXONOMY EXTENSION SCHEMA 3.1 KB
• EX-101 XBRL TAXONOMY EXTENSION LABEL LINKBASE 18.3 KB
• EX-101 XBRL TAXONOMY EXTENSION PRESENTATION LINKBASE 11.5 KB