Running on Ice: The cold chain gets an acquisition, a warehouse and new sorbets

All thawed out

Lineage is at it again, this time with the acquisition of Bellingham Cold Storage, a temperature-controlled provider in the Pacific Northwest. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the sale is expected to close in June.

This acquisition isn’t as straightforward, as the proposal still has to be presented to the Port of Bellingham.That’s because Bellingham Cold Storage signed a 50-year lease extension at its location on the Bellingham Waterfront last September. Lease provisions require port approval if there’s a change in ownership of more than 30%. BCS supports approximately 1,200 year-round jobs and generates more than $600 million in annual commerce.

“Please trust that this acquisition does not signal a departure from who we are and the values we have oriented ourselves to at BCS,” Doug Thomas, the president and CEO of BCS, said in a letter to the organization. “Lineage has built a winning culture that is deeply rooted in shared values. … Those attributes, and their alignment to what we hold most important, are a big part of why we chose to sell to Lineage, specifically.”

Temperature checks

A $27 million, more than 91,000-square-foot cold storage facility is coming to Foley, Alabama. Baldwin Cold Logistics is building a new cold storage warehouse with multipurpose space. It will include freezer storage, cold storage, machine handling equipment storage and office space.

“The addition of Baldwin Cold Logistics provides much-needed cold storage capacity for businesses in our growing area,” Foley Mayor Ralph Hellmich said. “This facility will increase investment and jobs in Foley and encourage existing business growth. Its strategic location along the Foley Beach Express makes it an asset not only for Foley but for the entire Gulf Coast. We appreciate the Baldwin County Economic Development Alliance (BCEDA)’s work bringing this investment to our area.”

Gulf Coast ports have become a key component of the cold chain as they’re responsible for the import and processing of temperature-sensitive goods like fresh produce, poultry and agriculture.

Food and drug

Spring might be sprung in certain parts of the country, but Häagen-Dazs wants people to feel the pull of summer already with the release of its three new sorbet treats. This is the latest in the company’s line of nondairy options. 

The new flavors are: 

• Summer Blueberry & Lemon: Blueberries from the Pacific Northwest blended with lemon. 
• Passion Fruit & Sweet Pear: Tropical passion fruit combined with a touch of sweet pear. 
• Sweet Lemon Coconut: Tangy, sweet lemons are matched with coconut cream. 

Cold chain lanes

This week’s market under a microscope heads to the home of country music, Nashville, Tennessee. Reefer capacity is loosening as reefer outbound tender rejections fall and reefer outbound tender volumes remain stagnant. The ROTRI in Nashville has fallen to 21.59% after peaking at 25.33% last week. Rejections consistently staying above 15%-20% indicate elevated spot rates in the market as the availability of capacity leaves a lot to be desired. 

Reefer outbound tender volumes have risen 22% week over week. Compared to volumes in previous years, reefer outbound tender volumes are significantly lower – actually down 57%. The spring spike in reefer volumes might miss Nashville this year if current levels are any indication.

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Shelf life

New sanitation/storage hub for ports targets meat, medical imports

RK Logistics expands Austin cold storage

Geotab and Thermo King collaborate to preserve perishables

Japan to export ISO-approved cold chain logistics to Asia

How grocers can put the cool in frozen food 

Wanna chat in the cooler? Shoot me an email with comments, questions or story ideas at moconnell@freightwaves.com.

See you on the internet.

Mary

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