Maritime Economic Development/Tampa
Port Tampa Bay and Partner Port Logistics Refrigerated Services Celebrate Construction of New Cold Storage Facility
Port Tampa Bay joined new tenant Port Logistics Refrigerated Services February 23 in celebrating another milestone in the construction of a cold storage facility that will expand the port’s refrigerated import/export cargo handling capacity.
Scheduled to open in the summer of 2017, the new facility will have over 9000 pallet positions to accommodate both chilled and frozen products, with food-grade glycol refrigerant used throughout the warehouse. It will include 96 refrigerated container plugs, as well as onsite USDA/CBP inspection and fumigation services. The construction site is located on a 13.7-acre site adjacent to Berth 219. The facility is designed to handle palletized breakbulk cargo as well as refrigerated containers. It will be served by a dedicated mobile harbor crane.
Port Logistics Refrigerated Services has expertise in stevedoring, warehousing and terminal operations.
Tampa developer Richard Corbett partnered in the financing of the project on behalf of Port Logistics Refrigerated Services.
The Tampa Bay/Orlando I-4 Corridor is home to a major food/beverage cluster that includes brands such as Publix, Sysco's International Food Group, Gordon Food Service, Walmart/Sam's Club, and Winn-Dixie. Others include Trader-Joes, Save-a-lot, Aldi, United Natural Foods, Vigo/Alessi, Goya, Mario Camacho, Southern Wine & Spirits, Break-Thru Beverage, Coca Cola/Minute Maid, Pepsico/Tropicana, Cutrale, Florida's Natural, Citrus World, Wish Farms, Tampa Juice, Bama Sea Products, and Tampa Bay Fisheries,.
"We are extremely pleased to see the partnership and construction of this project that is important to the development and future of our port, that will create jobs and augment the diversity of the state’s largest port," said Port CEO Paul Anderson. "We appreciate the backing and support of this milestone for the port and the shared strategic focus on creating a high level of service as we move forward."