For any big logistics operation, reliability isn’t just about machines; it’s about people, systems, and clear communication. Justin R. Smith, Senior Manager of Regional Engineering and Maintenance at Americold Logistics, oversees maintenance for the Northeast region, plus sites in Canada and Argentina, where he’s driving continuous improvement with smarter diagnostics, better training, and clear, practical KPIs.

From vibration monitoring and acoustic checks to modern CMMS tools like Oracle and Prometheus, Justin shares how his team works smarter and keeps operations running.

Quick Overview (TL;DR)

• Justin R. Smith leads engineering and maintenance for Americold’s Northeast region, plus Canada and Argentina.
• His team uses onboard vibration monitoring, acoustic diagnostics, and predictive maintenance to catch failures early.
• They rely on Oracle, Prometheus, and tablet-based tools to plan work, streamline tasks, and boost tech efficiency.
• For Justin, good communication, training, and clear metrics keep everyone working in the same direction.

Table of Contents

• Justin’s Role and Approach at Americold
• How Americold Uses Advanced Diagnostics and Predictive Maintenance
• CMMS and Technician Development: Building Efficiency
• Justin’s Advice: Communication, Training, and Metrics
• How EasyRCA Helps Reliability Teams Work Smarter

Justin’s Role and Approach at Americold

Justin has worked his way up at Americold for over a decade, now leading a wide region that includes the U.S. Northeast, Canada, and Argentina. His days balance the everyday fires with long-term reliability goals, from capital planning and CMMS migrations to technician development and acquisition integration.

“We’re big on continuous improvement,” Justin says. “If you’re not moving forward, you’re falling behind.”

How Americold Uses Advanced Diagnostics and Predictive Maintenance

To stop problems before they shut down a line, Justin’s team relies on tools that catch failures early:

• Onboard vibration monitoring to find bearing problems before they grow.
• Acoustic diagnostics to spot issues that vibration alone might miss.
• Infrared scanning to catch hidden electrical risks like loose wires.
  

They’re shifting routine PMs toward predictive strategies, cutting costs, and catching problems when they’re small.

CMMS and Technician Development: Building Efficiency

Americold’s team recently migrated to Oracle, using Prometheus for planning and V-Works for pushing tasks to tablets. Techs can open work orders, look up schematics, and close tasks on the spot — no more running back to the office.

“Our CMMS helps us plan the work and make sure people have what they need,” Justin says. “The better we use it, the better we run.”

It’s not just tools, Justin believes in investing in people, too. Training, mentoring, and clear expectations keep good techs growing and engaged.

Justin’s Advice: Communication, Training, and Metrics

Justin’s years in the field have taught him that reliability work lives or dies by communication.

“It can’t just be the maintenance team,” he says. “Everyone needs to know what’s going on.”

His team uses a simple one-pager that shows all their key metrics every week — so the whole team, from operators to leaders, knows the plan and what’s working.

Celebrate the wins. Train constantly. Share the data. That’s how reliability sticks.

How EasyRCA Helps Reliability Teams Work Smarter

At EasyRCA, we know that clear communication and root cause analysis go hand in hand. Our tools help teams like Justin’s find the real reasons problems happen, so they can fix them for good.

Want to see how EasyRCA makes RCA simple? Check out EasyRCA here.

To watch the full podcast episode with Justin, click here: YouTube

Further Reading:

• Customer-Focused Reliability: Lessons from Liebherr Mining’s Todd Heindselman
• Transforming Manufacturing Reliability: Insights from Rehrig Pacific’s John Ramirez