Manfredi Cold Storage offers cold storage, repacking, refrigerated freight and other services to the produce industry. The company has recently expanded throughout its home in Kennett Square, PA and also at its newest facility in Pedricktown, NJ.

That latest facility opened about a year ago with room for 4,000 pallets positions, a 30,000-square-foot packing room and 16 dock doors. The expansion will soon include another 45,000 square feet, adding 2,000 pallet positions, 15,000 square of packing space and another seven dock doors.

“New Jersey is all but complete, with our new addition being ready in the next 10 days,” said Frank Manfredi, president of the company. “We also added four new bagging lines to the existing five that were there, along with additional packing space.”

At the same time in Kennett Square, the company added another 12,000 feet and four more lines of capacity for bagging of citrus, which is also expected to be ready by early July.

“The staff to manage all this and run all this is already in place; we’ve been working on bringing in people over the last three months to gear up for this expansion,” Manfredi said. “From here now until the next six months, we’re going to let all this percolate. There are no future additions planned for the rest of 2022, but that could always change.”

The New Jersey site, situated near the Commodore Barry Bridge, is perfect for trucking as it leads into Interstate 95, Philadelphia and the Delaware Memorial Bridge, while the turnpike gives a straight shot into New York and New England.

Being close to the Wilmington Port in Delaware is a big reason for the company’s success.

“The Delaware River is the river to discharge fresh produce, there’s no doubt about that, and now we’re on both sides of it,” Manfredi said. “It’s great to be a part of it. The entire team here is talented and truly cares; I am very fortunate to work with such amazing people.”

He appreciates how trucks can get out of the port quickly and being close to both of its sites, makes it optimal. The port is expected to expand soon, bringing in more cargo and freight, and Manfredi is anticipating the business it will bring in someday once the work starts and is completed.

“We have a geographical advantage over our competitors being in South Jersey,” he said. “With the ease of major highways and our proximity to the Port of Wilmington, we can easily do 3-4 trucks in a given day. That makes it so efficient for pulling freight out, and you want to do it throughout the day, because the more efficient your trucks are bringing fruit in, the more efficient your warehouse will be.”

Manfredi Cold Storage has customers lined up to take advantage of its expanded operations and Manfredi feels fortunate to have them on board and looks forward to the year ahead.