Nordic Cold Storage has announced the grand opening of the first phase of its state-of-the-art storage and blast facility, located just minutes from the Port of Savannah.
The site has more than 200,000 square feet of convertible temperature-controlled storage space and is capable of blasting — or flash freezing — more than 10 million pounds of product, ranging from fresh poultry to produce, per week.
Blasting brings the temperature of foods down rapidly, freezing them in a matter of seconds and helping preserve their nutritional properties.
Nordic’s $30 million Pooler facility currently employs 150 workers, but the company plans to start a second phase by the end of the year, which will mirror the existing infrastructure. The cold storage warehouse began receiving its first shipments this month.
“Nordic’s announcement extends the Georgia Ports Authority’s power to support Georgia’s vital agricultural industry, in particular, our poultry producers,” said Curtis Foltz, GPA executive director.
“The Port of Savannah handles nearly 40 percent of the nation’s containerized poultry exports, supplied largely by Georgia’s farms. Quality providers like Nordic will give shippers more cost-effective options for moving refrigerated commodities to and from international markets.”
The Port of Savannah last year saw a 3.9-percent increase in refrigerated cargo exports, totaling nearly 108,000 TEUs, or 20-foot equivalent container units.
“Our Savannah facility is a reflection of Nordic’s commitment to meet the temperature-controlled supply chain requirements that our customers want today and will need tomorrow,” said Don Schoenl, president and CEO of Nordic.
“Our facility is located at I-95 and Jimmy DeLoach Parkway, only six miles from the Port of Savannah, and provides our customers convenient access to the port and interstate highways.”
Ross Maple, Nordic’s director of business strategy, said the project was made possible through the support and pro-business attitude of Nordic’s partners at the State Department of Economic Development, the Savannah Economic Development Authority, the Georgia Ports Authority, Georgia Power, Georgia Quick Start and the city of Pooler.
“Right now, we have more demand for refrigerated warehousing than we have facilities. Nordic’s commitment to build additional off-terminal freezer and temperature-controlled cold storage capacity, along with the Georgia Ports Authority’s ongoing work to expand on-terminal capacity for refrigerated cargo, will strengthen Georgia’s position in the marketplace,” said Foltz.
GPA’s Garden City Terminal currently has 64 refrigerated cargo racks online. The GPA is adding an additional 20 racks this spring, allowing for the accommodation of 2,016 containers. In the last seven years, refrigerated cargo exports through the Port of Savannah have increased 130 percent.
Around the state, more than 80 cold storage facilities — with a combined capacity of more than 16 million square feet — rely on the Port of Savannah.
“These private investments help to grow Savannah’s market reach, to attract a greater base of cold storage commodities and to make Savannah a hub for refrigerated cargo,” said Cliff Pyron, GPA’s chief commercial officer.
ABOUT NORDIC
Nordic is the second largest cold storage operator in the Southeast and the eighth largest in North America. Based in Atlanta, Nordic specializes in providing cold storage and distribution services to major food producers, distributors, retailers and other blue chip customers.
The company operates 14 facilities in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina, which together comprise more than 70 million cubic feet of temperature-controlled storage space.