Americold recently broke ground in Port Saint John, New Brunswick, on its first import-export hub to be built in Canada.
Provincial and local leaders joined company executives to celebrate Americold’s investment in New Brunswick in a ceremony held in conjunction with Port Saint John’s Port Days. The new cold storage facility, which will be the sixth operated by Americold in Canada, will leverage the maritime logistics capabilities of DP World and the rail logistics solutions of Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC).
The facility is slated to open in 2026, Americold reported.
“Developing this facility at Port Saint John marks an important step forward for Americold,” Rob Chambers, Americold Americas president, said in a news release. “The infrastructure investments by DP World and CPKC alongside Port Saint John have attracted major global shipping lines to this location, and we are excited that our world-class cold storage facility and value-added services will support food flows between Central and Eastern Canada, Europe, South America, and APAC."
Americold expects to invest between $75 and $80 million to develop the import-export hub, providing approximately 22,000 pallet positions—the equivalent of over 800 full truckloads of temperature-sensitive goods. The facility will enhance trade routes between Canada and global markets, increase export capacity, improve import logistics, and support economic growth through strategic partnerships and infrastructure development.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Americold and the opportunities it brings to create jobs on our waterfront,” said Craig Bell Estabrooks, Port Saint John president and CEO. “Our extensive infrastructure investments have paved the way for leading global partners to thrive in Saint John.”
This build is expected to contribute up to $37 million in direct provincial GDP, Americold added. Opportunities NB will invest up to $1.01 million in the form of a payroll rebate to assist Americold with the creation of up to 100 jobs by the end of 2029.
“Americold’s new greenfield facility enhances the port’s capacity to accommodate growing shipping volumes and strengthens its position as Atlantic Canada’s largest port by volume,” said Luke Randall, Opportunities NB minister. “The investment will also improve market access for New Brunswick's exporting companies and create good-paying jobs.”
