NC Ports Sees Growth in Import Produce

Wilmington, N.C. – As North Carolina Ports continues to grow its cold chain capabilities, several large grocery retailers and distributors have identified the Port of Wilmington as an efficient, close-proximity alternative to some of the traditional cold chain gateways to the North and South. This has led to an increase of import produce, both with established active programs, including bananas, pineapples, and blueberries, and new trial programs, including apples, melons, and additional tropical fruits and vegetables. These trials are crucial for solidifying confidence in the port’s ability to handle sensitive refrigerated cargo while delivering significant cost savings and supply chain advantages.

“These import produce trials build trust and demonstrate the value of using our gateway,” said Brian Clark , Executive Director, North Carolina Ports. “We have the on-port infrastructure, capabilities, and near-port industry investment. Now we are focused on scaling these programs and multi-stakeholder processes accordingly.”

The grocery sector has identified Wilmington as an ideal gateway because it provides direct and expedited access into a market with huge demand. As one of the fastest growing states in the country, there are more consumers in North Carolina requiring year-round access to fruits, vegetables, and proteins. In addition, there are more than five grocery store chains headquartered in the state. By utilizing the Port of Wilmington to service this demand, instead of other gateways that are farther away, customers save time, money, and distance to consumers. This is also a positive for North Carolina consumers because decreasing the distance from port to grocery store means increasing the shelf life of perishable goods.

There are several near-port investments and value-added solutions that will help further scale these import produce programs. Cold Summit Development, for example, is building a new facility less than a mile away from the Port of Wilmington that will be able to house a broad range of product categories, including fresh produce, organics, protein, life sciences, and more. The first phase of this facility will bring 298,000 square feet of multi-suite cold storage space online in the fall of 2024.

There is also a cold storage facility in Pender Commerce Park that is operated by Performance Team, a Maersk company. This 285,000-square-foot facility opened earlier this year.

In addition, Lewis Nursery and Farms, and its subsidiary American Blueberries, secured USDA APHIS certification for its near-port cold treatment facility. This certification and service also supports the import of fresh produce, like blueberries, grapes, apples, pears, and citrus, through the Port of Wilmington.

“The size and potential of what’s possible here is even greater thanks to the ongoing investments being made inside and outside of our gates,” said Hans Bean , Chief Commercial Officer, North Carolina Ports. “From a processing standpoint, the entire end-to-end supply chain exists here. This gateway can deliver key advantages while reducing over-the-road distance, time, cost, and risk. For these reasons, we anticipate more import produce trials in the very near future as new and existing customers continue to unlock the Port of Wilmington’s value.”

While there is no substitute for the capacity and hardware required to execute these fresh produce supply chains – the human side of delivering these solutions cannot be overstated.

“The collaborative efforts of industry-leading produce growers, importers, brokers, ocean carriers, truckers, landside service providers, and distributors has been tremendous,” Bean said.

The increase of import produce also benefits exporters of North Carolina agriculture. The Port of Wilmington is unique in that it has an equal balance of imports and exports. This means the repositioning of empty equipment, which is often required to serve supply chains via other ports, is not necessary in this market.

“This expansion of produce imports is actually very complementary to unlock even more potential in our exports because it positions refrigerated containers and ocean transport services right here in our state,” Bean said. “Ocean carriers can optimize equipment flows and maximize the use of their assets while serving their global customers through this optimal gateway.”

Joint efforts with cold chain partners and government agencies, including Customs and Border Protection and USDA, have also been essential in facilitating these new produce flows, creating a seamless on-port inspection process.

About North Carolina Ports

With deepwater port locations in Wilmington and Morehead City, plus an inland port in Charlotte and intermodal rail access through CSX’s Carolina Connector (CCX) in Rocky Mount, North Carolina Ports links consumers, business and industry to world markets. Our ports also serve as magnets to attract new business and industry to the State of North Carolina. Port activities contribute statewide to more than 87,700 jobs and $678 million each year in state and local tax revenues.