🧊 Bolloré Logistics buys STEF Logistique Santé

Welcome back to CubeCold News where we cover the latest developments in the cold chain industry and temperature-controlled logistics.

In today’s edition:

• Bolloré's contract logistics arm buys STEF Logistique Santé

• Americold announces plans for new cold storage facility

• Kuehne+Nagel air logistics expands at JFK

• Electric field tech launched in new refrigerated ocean service

• Chongqing welcomes first ILSTC China-Laos-Thailand cold chain train

News

Bolloré's contract logistics arm buys STEF Logistique Santé Bolloré Solutions Logistiques (BSL), a subsidiary of Bolloré Logistics, has acquired STEF Logistique Santé (SLS), a French pharmaceutical logistics specialist.

• This acquisition is part of Bolloré Logistics' strategy to strengthen its position in the healthcare logistics market, particularly in temperature-controlled logistics services.

• SLS, with over 20 years of experience, operates three facilities in Strasbourg, equipped with controlled temperature zones for the storage and distribution of pharmaceutical products.

• Simultaneously, Bolloré Logistics is undergoing a significant transition as it is being acquired by the French shipping conglomerate CMA CGM for €5B.

• This acquisition by CMA CGM, which has recently received approval from the European Commission, is set to create a powerful logistics entity by combining Bolloré Logistics with CMA CGM's CEVA Logistics. (link)

Americold announces plans for first cold storage facility on CPKC rail network in Missouri Americold Realty Trust is partnering with Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) to build a $127M, 335,000-square-foot cold storage facility in Kansas City, Missouri.

• This facility is the first of a series planned to be co-located on the CPKC rail network, aiming to enhance the Mexico Midwest Express (MMX) service that connects the U.S. Midwest with Mexico.

• The project, expected to create nearly 190 jobs, will provide expedited intermodal transportation solutions, aiming to improve efficiency and reduce congestion at the U.S.-Mexico border.

• Construction is set to begin in the first half of 2024, pending local approvals. (link)

Kuehne+Nagel air logistics expands services at JFK Kuehne+Nagel, a global leader in logistics, has expanded its air logistics services at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York.

• The expansion includes a new 4,500 sq ft, GxP-compliant, temperature-controlled area dedicated to healthcare and perishables, as well as an additional 10,000 square feet of warehouse space.

• This expansion enhances the facility's total size to 78,763 square feet, incorporating modernized office spaces and improved logistics capabilities.

• The temperature-controlled area is designed to support a wide range of climate requirements, from +2°C to +25°C, and is both GDP and IATA CEIV compliant, aligning with Kuehne+Nagel’s HealthChain certification.

• The development is aimed at supporting current and future customers in healthcare, aerospace, semiconductors, perishables, and other sectors. (link)

Electric field tech launched in new refrigerated ocean service Sumitomo Corporation and Orient Overseas Container Line Limited (OOCL) have formed a business alliance to provide refrigerated ocean transport using electric field technology.

• This technology aims to preserve the freshness of perishable goods over long distances, which could transform the global food supply chain.

• The electric field container system, developed with Daiichi Institution Industry Co. Ltd., allows for the long-term preservation of food products by lowering their non-freezing temperature and improving freshness retention.

• The alliance seeks to establish a new standard in freshness-preserving logistics, enabling the transportation of non-freezing chilled products from distant locations and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by shifting from air to ocean transport. (link)

Chongqing welcomes first ILSTC China-Laos-Thailand cold chain train Chongqing recently celebrated the arrival of the first ILSTC (International Land-Sea Trade Corridor) China-Laos-Thailand cold chain train, marking a significant milestone in cross-border cold chain rail service with ASEAN countries.

• The service, which began on February 16, 2024, transported 200 tons of bananas valued at over 100 million yuan ($14.07 M) from Laos, arriving in Chongqing on February 20.

• This development enhances the distribution of agricultural products between China, Laos, and Thailand, aiming to improve the efficiency and reliability of perishable goods transportation.

• The service is part of a broader strategy to strengthen the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle by promoting regional economic synergy through improved logistics for ASEAN fruits and Western China's premium goods. (link)

Other headlines

Vertical Cold Storage has expanded its presence in the Dallas-Fort Worth market by acquiring a new facility in Burleson, Texas.

CBRE and Aquilla are marketing a new 208,560 sq ft speculative cold storage facility developed by Titan Development and Sansone Group in Hutton (Texas), set to break ground in Q2 of 2024.

That’s it for today!

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