Latest news with #RobChambers
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Americold breaks ground on first import-export hub in Canada
Temperature-controlled warehouse operator Americold announced Thursday that it has broken ground on its first import-export hub in Canada. The Atlanta-based real estate investment trust said the new location will serve Port Saint John in New Brunswick, providing 22,000 pallet positions, or the equivalent of roughly 800 full truckloads, of storage. Americold (NYSE: COLD) said it will invest between $75 million and $80 million in the facility, which will be served through partnerships with privately held global ports operator DP World and Class I railroad Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) (NYSE: CP). '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,' said President of the Americas at Americold Rob Chambers in a news of the location is expected to generate $37 million in direct GDP to the area and up to 100 permanent jobs by the end of 2029. New Brunswick has pledged $1 million in payroll tax rebates. The warehouse is expected to open next year. 'Americold's expansion 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, New Brunswick's opportunities minister. 'The investment will also improve market access for New Brunswick's exporting companies and create good-paying jobs.' This will be the sixth cold storage facility Americold operates in portfolio includes 1.4 billion cubic feet of refrigerated space at 235 facilities throughout North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and South America. The company trimmed its full-year 2025 outlook earlier this month, citing a drastic change in demand among the food producers it serves following April tariff announcements. 'Our growing collaboration with Americold continues to bring new supply chain solutions to the market,' said CPKC President and CEO Keith Creel. 'This Port Saint John facility builds on the unique ecosystem that CPKC and Americold are creating to provide our customers an unrivaled cold chain across Canada, the United States, and Mexico.' More FreightWaves articles by Todd Maiden: ArcBest taps CH Robinson veteran to fix asset-light business Truckload spot rates to continue upward trend, RXO says Activist investor pushes Forward Air to execute 'value-maximizing sale' The post Americold breaks ground on first import-export hub in Canada appeared first on FreightWaves. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Americold Breaks Ground on Innovative Cold Storage Facility at Port Saint John Leveraging Strategic Partnerships With CPKC and DP World
ATLANTA, GA., May 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Americold Realty Trust (NYSE: COLD), a global leader in temperature-controlled logistics, real estate and value-added services, today breaks ground in Port Saint John, New Brunswick, on its first import-export hub to be built in Canada. Provincial and local leaders join company executives to celebrate this significant investment in New Brunswick, a ceremony held in conjunction with Port Saint John's Port Days. The new cold storage facility, to become 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 (TSX:CP) (NYSE:CP) (CPKC). 'Developing this facility at Port Saint John marks an important step forward for Americold,' said Rob Chambers, President, Americas at Americold. '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 will invest between $75 and $80 million to develop this 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, President & CEO of Port Saint John. '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. 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, Minister responsible for Opportunities NB. 'The investment will also improve market access for New Brunswick's exporting companies and create good-paying jobs.' Americold's cold chain ecosystem plays an integral role in the food supply chain, connecting production, distribution and consumption for many of the largest food companies in the world. The collaboration between Americold, DP World and CPKC aims to create unique customer value in the cold chain. 'Our growing collaboration with Americold continues to bring new supply chain solutions to the market,' said Keith Creel, President and Chief Executive Officer of CPKC. 'This Port Saint John facility builds on the unique ecosystem that CPKC and Americold are creating to provide our customers an unrivaled cold chain across Canada, the United States, and Mexico.' 'Our partnership with Americold and CPKC reflects our shared commitment to transforming supply chain efficiency and sustainability,' said Doug Smith, CEO of DP World Canada. 'This investment by Americold is a significant milestone in our joint mission to create seamless, end-to-end logistics solutions.' The Americold facility is slated to open in 2026. About Americold Americold (NYSE: COLD) is a global leader in temperature-controlled logistics and real estate, with a more than 120-year legacy of innovation and reliability. With more than 230 facilities across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and South America – totaling approximately 1.4 billion refrigerated cubic feet – Americold ensures the safe, efficient movement of refrigerated products worldwide. Our facilities are an integral part of the global food supply chain, connecting producers, processors, distributors, and retailers with tailored, value-added services supported by responsive and reliable supply chains. Leveraging deep industry expertise, smart technology, and sustainable practices, Americold delivers world-class service that creates lasting value for our customers and the communities we serve. Visit to learn more. About CPKC With its global headquarters in Calgary, Alta., Canada, CPKC is the first and only single-line transnational railway linking Canada, the United States and México, with unrivaled access to major ports from Vancouver to Atlantic Canada to the Gulf Coast to Lázaro Cárdenas, México. Stretching approximately 20,000 route miles and employing 20,000 railroaders, CPKC provides North American customers unparalleled rail service and network reach to key markets across the continent. CPKC is growing with its customers, offering a suite of freight transportation services, logistics solutions and supply chain expertise. Visit to learn more about the rail advantages of CPKC. About DP World DP World is reshaping the future of global trade to improve lives everywhere. Operating across six continents with a team of over 100,000 employees, we combine global infrastructure and local expertise to deliver seamless supply chain solutions. From Ports and Terminals to Marine Services, Logistics and Technology, we leverage innovation to create better ways to trade, minimizing disruptions from the factory floor to the customer's door. In the Americas, DP World operates with a team of over 16,000 people across 12 countries, driving excellence through a robust network of 14 ports and terminals and more than 40 warehouses. By harnessing our global reach and local expertise, we simplify logistics, enhance operational performance, and redefine the boundaries of what's possible in global trade. WE MAKE TRADE FLOW. For more insights into how DP World is reshaping global trade, visit our website: About Port Saint John Port Saint John is a rapidly advancing Port striving to be a catalyst for growth, recognized for community leadership. A critical piece of Canada's national supply chain, the Port boasts a diverse cargo base and unparalleled optionality via three Class I Railways. By championing innovation, promoting meaningful engagement, and investing in infrastructure, Port Saint John aims to be a safe, efficient port of choice while delivering economic prosperity in New Brunswick and beyond. Media Relations 762-821-9631 mediarelations@ in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Can we actually build a thriving economy on and around the moon?
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado — Cashing in on a cislunar economy is ballyhooed by space exploration advocates. Cislunar space — the region extending from our planet to the moon — is getting a lot of attention these days, as more and more spacecraft make their way to Earth's nearest neighbor. But what needs to happen to help spark a true cislunar economy? And, given actions of late here on Earth, are we headed for a tariff-free cislunar zone? There's a lot of hard work ahead to put in place the needed hardware to sustain and define such a dollar-generating idea, experts say, but we at least have some ideas about how to get started. It turns out that power allowing day-and-night operations on the moon — that is, "plug-in and play" lunar equipment — stands out as a must-have if humanity is to develop a real, rather than aspirational, cislunar economy. The thought of cislunar space becoming a cash cow of the cosmos was heavily discussed during the Space Foundation's 40th Space Symposium, which was held here from April 7 to April 10 by the Space Foundation. "I don't see an inner solar system in which we don't significantly develop the moon if you're going to go anywhere," said Rob Chambers, director of strategy for exploration at Lockheed Martin. "The basis of an economy has to be something that Earthlings will pay for." Lockheed Martin is taking a visionary look at the building blocks of lunar infrastructure. For example, the company thinks that, by 2044, the moon could be abuzz with international research and commercial infrastructure, transforming its barren surface into a livable ecosystem. You can take Lockheed's take on the infrastructure needed to maintain a permanent presence on the moon — near its south pole, which is thought to be rich in water ice — in this futuristic tour. "We're focused on water and therefore hydrogen and oxygen propellants as the key product that is the base of the economy," Timothy Cichan, space exploration architect at Lockheed Martin, told "The big thing is power…lots of power," he said, as well as the mobility needed to source the water ice lying on the chilly, permanently shadowed floors of polar craters. "Even in lunar nighttime, it's as close to cold as the permanently shadowed regions," Chambers explained. "You have to learn how to handle getting in and out of those thermal gradients. You have to be comfortable [with] operating in the nighttime in order to do productive things in the daytime." So, do you design for cold or hot on the moon? "You've got to design for both," Chambers said. "If you've got all the power you want, say hundreds of kilowatts, now you can optimize for something other than just survival." If there's less than 85% continuous sunlight, he added, "our numbers say switch over to nuclear fission at that point. There are not that many places on the moon that have 85% sun. That, to us, says buckle up and get comfortable with nuclear fission. Once you've done that, now the world's your oyster." Cichan pointed to the evolving nature of NASA's Artemis program, which aims to establish a permanent human presence on the moon in the coming years. Additionally, there's the space agency's footing of the bill for lander-carried experiments via its Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. "NASA is making sure that we can evolve to an actual economy," said Cichan. "Nobody has closed a business case around that as yet, but we want to set up the infrastructure such that it is commercially operated, so that we can evolve to a place where there is a lunar economy. It's in a nascent form right now, very dependent on government dollars." Cichan said that his message is, try to do things today to get prepared for the cislunar economy: "You have got to be there; otherwise, you're not part of the conversation." Chambers labeled our current ability to make money in a cislunar economy as a "chasm of capitalism." "I think there will be either a demand signal that the government says they will keep pouring in billions of dollars and they will buy power — for instance, writing a contract that has a guaranteed procurement with exit clauses if they don't. That's one way of getting through that chasm … assured government spending," Chambers said. Another scenario, he said, is that the mining of helium-3 — a fuel for nuclear fusion reactors — on the moon turns out to be a viable business, and then people will pour in money. "History has shown that humans figure out how to make money anywhere." Michael Nayak is a program manager with the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). He's leading DARPA's 10-Year Lunar Architecture (LunA-10) Capability Study. At the symposium, Nayak spotlighted what's needed within the next decade to establish an era of interoperable lunar infrastructure, which could spur a fully functioning lunar economy. "Today, the lunar economy has mining as its center. But in order for that to scale, we need megawatts of power," he said. In fact, Nayak would bet on a power company to be in the top five of a "lunar Fortune 50" business listing. In second place is heat rejection and generation as a commercial service, Nayak predicted, "especially in the wildly fluctuating temperatures of the moon." Related stories: — Moon mining gains momentum as private companies plan for a lunar economy — Water mining on the moon may be easier than expected, India's Chandrayaan-3 lander finds — NASA's Artemis program: Everything you need to know Of like mind is Jamie Porter, director of the Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium managed by The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland. "If you don't have power, you just can't do anything. You need it to be able to move forward," Porter told the Space Symposium gathering. "At DARPA, we are simply interested in big risks," Nayak said. The hard question that quickly emerged early in the LunA-10 study, he added, was, "How does it scale?" That is, how can we move beyond prototype lunar hardware to industry infrastructure and an actual lunar economy? "Power and thermal are absolutely critical," said Nayak. "The third thing is, where should we go [on the moon] if commercial industry is the point? Where are the specific locations with 'reserves' that are sufficiently deep that I can build an end-to-end economic model around?"
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mayoral candidates pitch visions for All America City
TUPELO — With just two Republicans running for mayor in the All-America City, voters are primed to decide during Tuesday's municipal primary elections who will lead the city of Tupelo for the next four years. Voters will return to their polling locations on April 1 and pick either Rob Chambers or incumbent Todd Jordan as the city's next mayor. Chambers, executive director of the Conservative Coalition of Mississippi, said he believes the city is eager for change, and he will bring just that. Meanwhile, Jordan, who previously worked in real estate as an agent for Tommy Morgan Real Estate and owns a power washing company, said he believes the city is on the right path, a path he said he hopes to continue in a second term. Chambers plans to leverage government experience for city Born in Ackerman, Chambers moved to Tupelo in 2015 for work. He previously worked at the American Family Association as the former vice president of policy and legislative affairs until 2022. 'I have come from a rich, strong background of negotiating toward a desired outcome,' he said. 'That desired outcome for me is to make Tupelo the strongest that it can possibly be, the best it can possibly be, the safest it can possibly be, and the best place for people can live in community with one another. Where their children can feel safe ... I've been doing this before Todd ever picked up a pressure washer.' According to its website, the Conservative Coalition of Mississippi, which has chapters in central Mississippi, Oxford, the Gulf Coast, Desoto County and Tupelo, is an organization meant to help organize conservatives to make Mississippi a 'truly conservative state.' With this organization, Chambers said he focuses on First and Second Amendment rights: the freedom of speech and the freedom to bear arms. With the two decades Chambers has in state and federal advocacy and relations, he said he can best serve Tupelo by leveraging contacts made in multiple levels of government to speed up processes and encourage business growth. 'You have to work with a lot of different elected officials. People that are not only elected but also serve in administrative roles,' he said of his position. 'You have a responsibility when it comes to elected positions … to carry out your job to represent the people. Not just the people that elected you but the entire municipality. 'What I've done in the past has enabled me to garner a lot of experience in working with key decision-makers and helping move a particular initiative forward ... If there is some kind of initiative that comes before the board, I will be able to work with not only the council members but also be able to speak on behalf of the city.' On business, Chambers said his administration would focus on blending the business and community aspects of the city. 'Those two things need to work hand in hand,' he said. 'What I want to do is make that stronger.' Public safety, Chambers said, is another piece of the puzzle. He believes a city cannot have a strong community without public safety. He pointed to rising drug crime, which he said was up 28% according to information he said was reported from the Tupelo Police Department to the Mississippi Department of Public Safety. He also pointed to cases of sexual violence in public schools since 2022, calling it unacceptable. The National Incident-Based Reporting System reports that crime is up in Tupelo by 28%. Data provided by the Tupelo Police Department, meanwhile, reports a total call volume of 91,000 from 2024 compared to 2023's 77,000, which is a 15% increase in overall calls. Data also shows felony drug arrests went down from 111 in 2023 to just 77 in 2024. Meanwhile, the report shows 53 sexual battery charges in 2023, which is higher than the 39 arrests in 2024. The department data does not report where the battery charges happened or the victim's age. According to reporting from the Daily Journal, two sex crimes against minors have been reported. Brady Patrick Dean, 25, of Tupelo, who faces a total of five counts of sexual battery and six counts of child exploitation in the two indictments which involve his former position as a U.S. Marine recruiter; and Alexander Ryan Blackwelder, 28, a former youth pastor who pleaded guilty to sexual battery of church member. With or without actual safety issues, he said for residents, 'perception is reality.' He said he wants to make residents feel safe. To do this, he wants to increase the number of police officers in the city and giving the officers raises to be more competitive with surrounding areas. 'Once that happens with that public safety element there, then the people feel more free to get out and shop,' he said, which he claims will increase sales tax revenue and grow business. 'We need more officers per shift, especially in some of these places where you have hotspots.' Alongside public safety, Chambers said he hopes to make a positive change in the rising homeless population, noting it creates a 'negative element' on the economy in Tupelo. He said he wants his administration to find pathways to help homeless individuals. Chambers said he believed Jordan's administration is not taking an active enough role in alleviating the issue, which he would do if elected. 'We have citizens in this city that feel unsafe because of a homeless population, and some of that is warranted,' he said, pointing to a recent incident involving suspect Ryan Hearn, 34, who allegedly assaulted a person near First Baptist Church. 'It is having an adverse impact on our economy ... How much better could it be if this administration had been proactive beyond saying this is the problem for the Salvation Army, (Mississippi United to End Homelessness) and S.A.F.E to address? 'This is a city responsibility, and I think it is a mayoral obligation to actually resolve that and not just farm it out to a nonprofit.' Chambers claimed Hearn, not by name, was homeless, though Tupelo Police Department reported Hearn was 'known for assisting homeless' individuals in the area. No further information on the incident was available at the time of reporting. Chambers said he is ready to work on Day 1, noting he believes he is already doing the job of bringing more transparency to the city. He pointed to him becoming aware of a homeless encampment near Carnation Street. After posting about it on social media and bringing it to public attention, the city cleared it out. 'My administration will be proactive, not reactive,' he said, pointing to a meeting at the Joyner Neighborhood Association. 'The other candidate … said just look around. Look how great it is. That's what I would say. Just look around." Jordan plans to continue ongoing projects First elected in 2021, Jordan said he's proud of his tenure as mayor so far. He said he hopes to continue projects started in the last four years into a second term, pointing to road improvements, drainage, emergency response and ongoing railway upgrades. 'I love what I do. I think there is a sense of pride where you have a project, and you see it from the beginning to the end,' he said. 'I said I wasn't going to sit behind a desk, and I don't. I get out ... I look at things that are important and put it on the list when it needs to be done.' When asked what he believes is the biggest issue facing Tupelo, Jordan pointed to housing. He noted that while Tupelo's population is about 37,000 people, its daytime population is much higher. He said there were multiple neighborhoods in need of revitalization. His administration has helped in this effort, he said, by buying derelict property, demolishing standing buildings and selling them to developers for market value. While he said it takes time to work on housing, the administration, in partnership with the Neighborhood Development Corporation, has made strides in providing property at lower rates to developers to make the bottom line for homebuyers cheaper. He pointed to West Jackson Street as an example of this revitalization. When the Jackson West Neighborhood was first conceptualized, it was meant to have 'starter homes' in a price range of $150,000 to $170,000. Homes on that stretch of West Jackson now reportedly sell for around $240,000 to $250,000 ... or even more. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development defines affordable housing as the occupant paying no more than 30% of their income on housing. 'Affordable housing, I don't know if there's one term for that,' Jordan said. 'Most people think of affordable housing as a young couple buying a house … at a good rate. That is what we want to target.' Jordan said his administration is focused on homeownership, noting that in the property it sells for redevelopment, there are binding clauses that the finished home must be sold to an individual who will not rent the property out for a certain amount of time. While there was a learning curve for his first term, Jordan said he believes his administration 'hit the ground running,' asserting that he put the 'right people in place' to run the city. 'We didn't have time to sit around. We didn't have time to learn,' he said. 'If you look across the city at everything we've done, I'd put it up against anybody in the state of Mississippi.' Another goal for the coming administration is updating the city's street program. Jordan said he plans to contract with a company that will grade road quality, including soil, asphalt conditions, stripping and signage. This data will go into the city's street saver program to build a better priority list of what roads need attention by empirical evidence. Jordan pointed to the complete overall of the Bristow Acres neighborhood's streets from the soil bed up, noting there are some other areas in town that will get that attention in the coming years. He said it is important to do that work from the outset to increase the longevity of the street in general. 'We have paved all of or part of 120 streets in the last four years,' he said. The city has three projects pertaining to railroad upgrades: building an overpass on Eason Boulevard, moving the switching operations further south of the intersection of Gloster and Main streets and establishing three quiet zones in the city, which are areas with more relaxed rules regarding train speeds and when to blow warning horns. The city received $1.4 million from the state for preliminary engineering, which Jordan said his administration is in the process of hiring a firm to assist in the engineering, and another $7.7 million from the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation. The $7.7 million in funding has not hit the city's coffers as of Friday. The quiet zones, which are made through safety upgrades at each crossing, will take longer to accomplish, Jordan said. The goal is to have one start north of Crosstown and cover crossings through the west and north ends of the city. A second south of Crosstown will cover crossings east and south, and a third will cover the crossings that run north and south through town near downtown. 'Hopefully, our preliminary engineering will be pretty much done when we receive our money for the last quiet zone grant,' Jordan said, noting that a lot of neighborhoods get used to the trains, so the priority is to work downtown and more out from that radius. 'We are doing business around the world in the banks, and when the trains come through, they have to stop their conversation … to wait on the train.' Of the three projects, Jordan said the overpass on Eason Boulevard is the priority because of the safety concerns attached to it. When a train blocks that crossing, it slows precious time needed for emergency responders to get to and from the nearby North Mississippi Medical Center. Over the next term, Jordan said he would focus on finding grant funding to finish that project, which he said is about $10 million short. On emergency response, Jordan said his administration has emphasized establishing a real-time response center and installing cameras around the city. He wants to continue that effort. With the Fire Department, Jordan pointed to the upcoming replacement of the old Fire Station No. 5 facility, which the council recently accepted a $4.2 million contract with Southland Construction Inc. to build a new fire station. His next goal is to replace Fire Station No. 1 in downtown Tupelo, specifically building it as a nexus for emergency response in the event of a catastrophe. He said another priority of his administration is listening to his council, noting that projects they want also need focus, such as parks and recreation, beautification and neighborhood quality of life. He pointed to park upgrades at Hancock, Gum Tree, Ballard, Veterans Memorial and Dot Cooper Kelly parks.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Voter registration for municipal primaries ends Saturday
TUPELO — The window to register to vote in Tupelo's municipal primaries is rapidly closing. Saturday will be the final day for residents within city limits to register to vote in time for the April 1 primary elections. Those interested can go to City Hall on Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. on April 1. The primary elections are paramount in that many of the races will be decided through them, including the mayoral race between Republicans Rob Chambers and incumbent Todd Jordan. Jordan is looking to secure a second term as the city of Tupelo's top elected official. Ward 2 and Ward 4 will also be decided in the primary elections. Ward 1 Councilman Chad Mims and Ward 6 Councilwoman Janet Gaston both are unopposed, securing their seats for a second term. Republican Lucas Berryhill hopes to unseat Republican incumbent Ward 2 Councilman Lynn Bryan, and in Ward 4, a host of Democrat challengers are vying to take the position away from long-time Democrat Nettie Davis, including Alexandra Mercedes Copeland, Brenda DePriest and Sarita Grayson Witherspoon. Ward 7 will also be decided in the upcoming primary as former councilmember Willie Jennings, D, hopes to return to the council, challenging Democrat incumbent Rosie Jones, who defeated him in the last election cycle. While not decided in the primary, Ward 5 has a host of Republicans vying for the seat, which is currently occupied by Buddy Palmer, who isn't seeking reelection. Candidates include Steven. J. Coon, Mike Horton and Bentley Nolan. The winner of the primary will face Democrat candidate Candria Lewis in the June general election. If there are no definitive victors in primary races with more than two candidates, a runoff election will be triggered. Runoffs are scheduled for April 22. June 3's general election will be the final decision for Ward 3 alongside Ward 5. Incumbent Republican Travis Beard will face Democrat Shirley Hendrix. With no third-party candidates running in the election, a runoff won't be necessary. Meanwhile, absentee voting for the primary has already begun and will continue through March 29. Voters who do not register in time to take part in the primary can still vote in the general election if they register before May 5.
