Hoffberger Holdings Inc (HHI) has announced an expansion of its Port of Baltimore MD distribution center at the Chesapeake Commerce Center adjacent to the Seagirt Marine Terminal, Baltimore’s international container terminal. The facility will be operated under the MTC Logistics banner, which has been operating temperature-controlled distribution centers since 1928. Harry Halpert, chairman of MTC Logistics, said, “Our distribution center’s location immediately adjacent to the Port of Baltimore’s Seagirt Marine Terminal and within a half-mile of two entrances to I-95 has lived up to our expectations. Since opening in 2009, the feedback from our customers about this facility’s ability to integrate international and domestic services and to timely serve markets with our transportation affiliate, MLogistics, has been overwhelmingly positive and has placed us in a position to expand.”
F Brooks Royster III, president of MTC Logistics, said many factors have contributed to this being the right time to expand. “The strategic position immediately adjacent to the Seagirt Marine Terminal has allowed us to continue to expand our international service offerings,” he said. “With the expansion of the Panama Canal slated for 2015, we needed to be ready to support the expanding demands for refrigerated cargo in the mid-Atlantic region. Due to the Port of Baltimore being one of only two ports on the East Coast able to accept the newly defined Panamax vessels, we needed to be ready for the additional business. Additionally, the recently announced P3 Alliance of Maersk, MSC, and CMA/CGM will continue to accelerate the expansion of the Port of Baltimore.” After completion, the facility will exceed 9 million cubic feet and offer about 32,000 racked pallet positions. ARCO Design/Build of Atlanta, responsible for design and construction of Phase I, has been contracted to design and construct Phase II of the facility. This phase will encompass 5 million cubic feet of temperature-controlled space complete with more than 15,000 specialized rack positions. The expansion is projected to be completed at the end of the third quarter 2014 and will add around 25 more positions. “We have been operating temperature-controlled distribution centers in Baltimore for nearly a century, and we continue to invest in this community,” said Royster. “If all goes as planned, we will be operational in time to meet next year’s busy holiday season.” HHI is a diversified privately held investment company of the Hoffberger family of Baltimore. With the expansion, MTC Logistics will operate three distribution centers with 20 million cubic feet of refrigerated and frozen space, serving the ports of Baltimore, Philadelphia PA, and Wilmington DE. To find out more, access www.mtccold.com.
