🧊 I Squared Capital acquires leading cold storage operator in the Philippines

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

In today’s edition:

• I Squared Capital acquires a leading cold storage operator in the Philippines

• Americold breaks ground on innovative cold storage facility at Port Saint John

• Belfast-born tech firm leading the AI revolution in global cold chain

• Building India’s greenest, most reliable cold-chain for pharma distribution

• NX Belgium opens new logistics base at Brussels Airport's Brucargo Central

News

I Squared Capital acquires a leading cold storage operator in the Philippines I Squared Capital, a global infrastructure investment manager and CubeCold investor, has acquired a controlling stake in Royale Cold Storage (RCS), a leading Philippine cold storage operator.

• This marks I Squared's first step in building an institutional cold storage platform in the Philippines.

• RCS operates five strategically located facilities serving Metro Manila and surrounding provinces, with 100,000 pallet positions supporting clients across quick service restaurants, meat processors, agriculture, and food retail.

• The company provides temperature-controlled services including cold storage, blast-freezing, and warehouse management.

• This investment expands I Squared Capital's global cold storage strategy, following previous investments in CubeCold in Europe and WOW Logistics in US. (Business Wire)

Americold breaks ground on innovative cold storage facility at Port Saint John Americold Realty Trust has broken ground on a $75-80 million cold storage facility at Port Saint John, New Brunswick, marking its first Canadian import-export hub.

• The facility will provide 22,000 pallet positions (equivalent to 800+ truckloads) and become Americold's sixth Canadian operation.

• The project leverages strategic partnerships with DP World (maritime logistics) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City/CPKC (rail logistics) to enhance trade routes between Canada and global markets including Europe, South America, and Asia-Pacific.

• The facility is expected to contribute $37 million to provincial GDP and create up to 100 jobs by 2029, supported by a $1.01 million payroll rebate from Opportunities NB.

• Port Saint John's infrastructure investments have attracted major shipping lines, positioning it as Atlantic Canada's largest port by volume. (Americold)

Belfast-born tech firm leading the AI revolution in global cold chain Suply Ltd, a Belfast-founded startup, is revolutionizing global cold chain logistics using AI technology developed in Northern Ireland.

• Founded by Barry Rollins, the company has assembled an advanced AI team in just 12 months to monitor and predict conditions for perishable goods shipments including fresh produce, wine, and premium items.

• The company operates from Belfast with teams across Latin America (Chile, Peru, Ecuador) and oversees hundreds of millions of dollars in fresh exports for major produce companies.

• Suply will open a Copenhagen office in July 2025, expanding its European presence.

• Beyond basic tracking, Suply's AI integrates IoT data, shipping updates, and external factors like port congestion and weather to provide actionable insights.

• Driven by high demand, Suply is expanding into Kenya, South Africa, Australia, and Mexico. (SyncNI)

Building India’s greenest, most reliable cold-chain for pharma distribution PLUSS Advanced Technologies has partnered with Ecodome Logistics to deploy India's most sustainable pharmaceutical cold-chain distribution network using reusable, IoT-enabled Phase Change Material (PCM) boxes.

• The collaboration addresses India's 20-25% pharmaceutical spoilage rates caused by traditional ice-based and Styrofoam containers that fail to maintain consistent 2-8°C temperatures.

• PLUSS's PCM boxes maintain stable temperatures, reduce vaccine wastage by up to 25%, and cut carbon emissions by 80% compared to single-use Styrofoam.

• The system features integrated sensors providing real-time temperature and location data to Ecodome's cloud platform, enabling immediate intervention when needed.

• Operating on a pay-per-use rental model, it eliminates capital investment requirements for pharmaceutical companies of all sizes.

• Initial deployment covers major hubs including Hyderabad, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Pune, and NCR, with plans to expand to secondary manufacturing clusters.(Express Pharma)

NX Belgium opens new logistics base at Brussels Airport's Brucargo Central NX Belgium has opened a new 10,000 sq.m. logistics base at Brussels Airport's Brucargo Central facility, becoming the first company to operate at this newly redeveloped cargo hub.

• The warehouse, twice the size of their previous facility, features a 2,000 sq.m. temperature-controlled section with refrigerated (2℃-8℃) and constant-temperature (15℃-25℃) zones specifically designed for pharmaceutical logistics.

• The new facility integrates three previous locations and includes office spaces, creating a centralized European logistics hub for pharmaceutical and healthcare companies.

• The warehouse features high-quality security systems targeting TAPA-Level A certification and expects to receive GDP certification by year-end.

• Belgium serves as a key European manufacturing and development center for global pharmaceutical companies, vaccine producers, and biotechnology research institutes. (Nippon Express)

Other headlines

Lineage, Inc. announces the planned retirement of CFO Rob Crisci, who will remain in position and will assist with the transition process until a successor is found.

Americold has promoted Rob Chambers to a new President role overseeing global operations, with Bryan Verbarendse succeeding him as President, Americas, and Richard Winnall assuming oversight of global commercial and operations committees to drive operational excellence and global growth.

Werner Enterprises has been named a 2025 Top 3PL and Cold Storage Provider by Food Logistics for the ninth consecutive year, recognizing its leadership in refrigerated food and beverage supply chain services.

Gander & White, a London-based fine art logistics provider, has acquired its first electric truck – a refrigerated Volvo FL Electric 4×2 rigid – to transport high-value artworks and antiques across the capital.

Tag-N-Trac has reached major milestones with its RELATIVITY platform processing over 250,000 cold chain shipments and collecting 3 billion data points to power AI-driven logistics solutions for enterprise customers.

Bannister Transport is replacing its entire 40-trailer refrigerated fleet with Sunswap's solar-powered electric units to become the UK's first fully electric reefer fleet operator, eliminating 1,760 metric tons of CO2 over the units' lifetime.

DCL International has developed a metal-based catalyst that removes ethylene gas from storage and transportation environments to extend fruit shelf life and reduce food waste without chemicals or manual maintenance.

That’s it for today!

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