Lineage Logistics recently introduced Lineage Fresh, a new service that provides fresh storage options for major importers, grocers, and producers of fresh fruit and produce.
Lineage Fresh will allow products with a short shelf-life to face fewer obstacles, less risk, and less spoilage with Lineage’s cold storage technology and logistics network, Lineage said. Leveraging the company’s expertise as a global temperature-controlled provider, Lineage Fresh is designed to cater to businesses in which food safety is critical and speed to market is essential. The new value-added services and capabilities of Lineage Fresh include re-pack and bagging services, reconditioning, restacking, restyling, container plugs, multi-temperature zones for produce, cold treatment, fumigation, container drayage, and the integration of customs bonded facilities.
“With the launch of Lineage Fresh, we are excited to expand our reach in the fresh produce market, adding dedicated fresh capacity and product expertise to the market, ultimately helping customers capitalize on this growing opportunity,” said Jim Henderson, vice president of business development. “This offering will leverage our strategic acquisitions of Sun Valley Cold Storage and Kloosterboer, which bring state-of-the-art assets and years of experience to the organization, as well as our new port facility in Savannah, Georgia, to build a more efficient end-to-end supply chain while addressing capacity concerns that have previously impacted the market.”
Fresh produce importers, exporters, and the international fresh fruit and vegetable community at large have been experiencing service and capacity issues with their fresh products, the company said. To address their needs, Lineage has invested in the space to meet the demands of the fresh market. These efforts include:
Over the past two years, Lineage has focused on value-added services needed to handle fresh fruits and vegetables, namely fresh food storage, repacking, bagging, and transportation. The company started this venture in June 2021 with the acquisition of Kloosterboer Group, which continues to bring a large, long-standing fresh operation to the Lineage network, with fresh facilities in both Rotterdam and Flushing in the Netherlands.
In December 2021, Lineage acquired Sun Valley Cold Storage and its facility in Swedesboro, New Jersey, expanding its presence in the U.S. Tri-State area, where 80% of U.S. produce enters the country. Sun Valley Cold Storage served the fresh produce market for more than 15 years, with a team of experienced professionals dedicated to handling fresh fruits and vegetables. Lineage is in the process of expanding this facility with 5,000 additional pallets coming online in the first quarter of 2023, leveraging the capacity and expertise of the former Sun Valley and Kloosterboer operations to enhance Lineage’s fresh network globally.
Lineage is building a new, state-of-the-art refrigerated storage facility at the port of Savannah, Georgia, expected to open in January 2023, completely dedicated to fresh produce. Savannah is the fastest-growing port and largest single container terminal in North America, and the new facility will help cut through port congestion to ensure fewer obstacles in maintaining the freshness of the produce.
