Cool It!

The port of Savannah, GA and Americold's PortFresh Savannah campus are open for fresh fruit and vegetable imports and exports.  And with the introduction of the USDA’s Southeast In-Transit Cold Treatment Pilot program about four years ago, opportunities for customers and vendors involved in international fruit and vegetable supply chains have increased significantly....

That is certainly the question now as demand for food variety, and consequently food storage, accelerates. In general, demand for food increases roughly in line with inflation - the more people there are, the more food is consumed. But today's consumers expect more choice - more variety - and more convenience. CBRE reports food sales have increased 24% in just the last 5 years! An analogy often conveyed during our meetings is to ask people to consider the size of the frozen pizza section in a local grocery store 15-20 years ago. Maybe it was a cabinet of two with 4 flavors from a handful of frozen pizza manufacturers. And look at that same produce now... multiply that out for the majority products a typical grocery store offers and you can see why there can be 50-60,000 SKUS under that one roof!

Richard Winnall joined Americold in January 2019 a year after the company’s entrance on the New York Stock Exchange – Americold Realty Trust (NYSE: COLD) is listed as the world’s largest publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on the ownership, operation, and development of temperature-controlled infrastructure globally.

The online shopping revolution, pioneered by Amazon, could not happen without an extensive warehouse infrastructure. And as digital shopping grows, so too will the need for warehouse space. In early June, investment management group Blackstone Group LP provided a clear signal that growth is expected to continue strongly in this space. The company purchased 179 million square feet of urban logistics properties for $18.7 billion.

Cyber attacks have become an ever-increasing threat as today’s security landscape has changed due to digitization and inter connectivity.  The increasing adoption of cloud computing and cloud storage services has instigated a massive transfer of data to this environment.  Third party logistics (3PLs) services are no different – we’re all cloud users with the Internet of Things (IoT).

It’s that time of year again when football fans huddle in front of the television, frequent the nearest bar or attend the latest gathering to tune into one of the most anticipated sporting events of the year. Super Bowl 53 is upon us and according to the International Council of Shopping Centers, over 190 million Americans are planning to watch the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots battle for the Lombardi Trophy.

In early October 2018, a landmark report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its findings outlining the impacts of global warming and the potentially devastating effects on livestock and water resources. The IPCC has urged we limit global warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, warning against escalated temperatures of even half a degree, which would significantly worsen the risks of extreme heat, drought, and floods.

Retailers and manufacturers are facing re-alignment strategy initiatives as their supply chains adjust to the ongoing evolution and disruption of major market disruptors such as Amazon and shifting consumer shopping habits. To meet the market’s demands, companies are continuously revisiting their network strategies to ensure their existing operation is up-to-par and if not, determine what investments in processes, equipment and infrastructure are needed.

As customers continue to set increased expectations around transparency and energy-conserving efforts, incorporating corporate social responsibility (CSR) is becoming a market differentiator.

US import tariffs imposed on steel and aluminum affect countries such as Canada, Mexico, members of the European Union, and China who are major trading partners. In response, some of these countries have imposed retaliatory tariffs on US exports.