Emergent Cold LatAm has inaugurated a new cold storage facility in Cartagena, Colombia, expanding its infrastructure along the country’s Caribbean coast. Located in the Parque Central Free Trade Zone, the warehouse offers over 9,000 pallet positions and 76,000 m³ of temperature-controlled storage capacity.
The purpose-built facility includes automation technologies, energy efficiency features, and advanced food safety systems. It complements the company's existing site in the La Candelaria Free Trade Zone, increasing total storage capacity in Cartagena to more than 14,000 pallet positions.
According to Emergent Cold LatAm, the expansion supports the growing needs of Colombia’s agrifood sector and rising demand for refrigerated and frozen logistics. The new facility is designed to serve both domestic supply chains and international trade from the Atlantic Coast.
“The growth of the agrifood sector and the increase in refrigerated and frozen food flows in Colombia confirm the need to continue expanding our network. Cartagena is key in this process, and this new investment reinforces our long-term commitment to the country,” said Alain Eichmann, Managing Director for the Caribbean region at Emergent Cold LatAm.
Since entering the Colombian market in 2022, the company has established operations in Buga, Cartagena, Funza/Bogotá, and Girón/Bucaramanga. It now operates seven warehouses in Colombia, totaling 58,000 pallet positions and 507,000 m³.
In Guatemala, Emergent Cold LatAm has expanded two facilities, adding over 12,000 pallet positions and bringing its national capacity to 32,000 pallet positions. The Palín site, strategically located between Guatemala City and Puerto Quetzal, gained 9,000 pallet positions, while the Xela facility in Quetzaltenango also increased its storage capacity. The expansions are expected to create 70 direct jobs and at least 250 indirect jobs.
The added capacity is equivalent to approximately 12,500 tons of food storage. According to Eichmann, “Continued investments in the country demonstrate Guatemala’s relevance to the company’s strategies and reinforce our commitment to the nation’s economic development and logistics infrastructure.”
Emergent Cold LatAm entered Guatemala in May 2022 via the acquisition of a local company. The first expansion in Palín was completed in September 2022. The company also operates a third warehouse in Villa Nueva.
In Mexico, Emergent Cold LatAm has opened a new cold storage facility in the Guadalajara region, marking its entry into a new territory. The warehouse has capacity for 12,000 pallet positions across 81,000 m³, with available land to potentially double the capacity in future phases.
“Guadalajara is one of the largest and most dynamic cities in Mexico, and it holds a privileged position for connecting our customers with the ports of Manzanillo and Lázaro Cárdenas,” said Juan Pablo Benítez, Managing Director of Emergent Cold LatAm in Mexico.
This is the second warehouse the company has opened in Mexico in 2025, following the launch of a new facility in Monterrey in March. Emergent Cold LatAm also recently expanded two sites in Villagrán and Apodaca. Since entering the Mexican market in 2022, the company has grown its footprint to 36 warehouses.