CHARLESTON, SC - January 20, 2016 - Today South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) officials celebrated the newly-expanded New Orleans Cold Storage (NOCS) facility in North Charleston, an important addition to SCPA's ability to serve the growing refrigerated cargo market.
Driven by SCPA's 38 percent growth of refrigerated cargo since 2011, Charleston has attracted significant investments in cold storage over the past year.
"NOCS's expansion is significant to SCPA, especially given the strategic importance of refrigerated cargo to our business," said Jim Newsome, SCPA president and CEO. "The addition of significant local cold storage and freezer space in the Charleston area supports SCPA's continued above-market growth in this sector."
Completed in November 2015, the expansion increases the facility's blast freezing capabilities by 50 percent. The addition of 81,000 square feet more than doubles NOCS's local footprint, which now offers 136,000 square feet of cold storage.
"We are looking forward to offering even more services to our clients at the Port of Charleston, where we have been for almost 30 years," said Mark Blanchard, NOCS President and CEO. "This expansion will help us continue to be one of the largest logistics and cold storage suppliers to the poultry, pork, beef, seafood, vegetable, and international refrigerated food industries."
NOCS originally located in Charleston in 1986 to provide cold storage for import meats from Australia, New Zealand, Central America and South America.
About NOCS
NOCS is a premier logistics provider specializing in import and export services for food processors and distributors. Operating from four key port facilities on the southeast seaboard and Gulf of Mexico, NOCS offers a "one-stop" export process, including transportation to the port, blast freezing and warehousing, certification and documentation, plus stevedoring (loading of break-bulk vessels). An equally seamless service streamlines inbound shipments destined for U.S. markets. Since 1886, NOCS has been the door to the world for international food companies. The NOCS business model of market-specific facilities provides greater operating efficiency and professional expertise at the warehouse level. Such markets include the Southeast US, the panhandle of Florida to the West Gulf Coast of Texas, Central and South America, the Pacific Basin, the Australian-New Zealand trade, the People's Republic of China, Africa, the Eastern bloc countries and Russia.
About South Carolina Ports Authority
South Carolina Ports Authority (SPCA), established by the state's General Assembly in 1942, owns and operates public seaport facilities in Charleston, Georgetown and Greer, handling international commerce valued at more than $63 billion annually while receiving no direct taxpayer subsidy. An economic development engine for the state, Port operations facilitate 187,200 statewide jobs and generate nearly $53 billion annual economic activity. Home to the Southeast's deepest port, SCPA is the industry leader in delivering speed-to-market, seamless processes and flexibility to ensure reliable operations, big ship handling, efficient market reach and environmental responsibility. For more information on SCPA, please visit www.scspa.com.