News & Updates

Groundbreaking Held for PortMiami Future-Ready Perishables Facility

A groundbreaking ceremony for a state-of-the-art Phytosanitary Treatment and Cold Chain Processing Facility recently took place in Miami, laying the groundwork for the first of its kind center in Florida, and the largest in the U.S.

The facility will be used by PortMiami and Miami International Airport (MIA), and it’s being developed in collaboration with Mandich Group, Cold-Link Logistics and Reveam. The phytosanitary treatment portion of the facility will irradicate pests from refrigerated cargo containers and air cargo pallets, and the cold chain processing portion will provide cold storage, warehousing, distribution and other services for perishable goods.

From left to right: Nick Mandich, Managing Partner, Mandich Group; Ralph Cutié, Director and CEO, Miami International Airport; Miami-Dade County Commissioner Juan Carlos Bermudez, District 12; Miami-Dade County Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins, District 8; Chip Starns, Co-Founder and Executive Vice President, Reveam; Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava; Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart, District 26; Michael Mandich, Mandich Group; Congressman Carlos A. Gimenez, District 28; Miami-Dade County Commissioner Natalie Milian Orbis, District 6; Miami-Dade County Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez; and Jimmy Morales, Chief Operating Officer, Miami-Dade County.

The future-ready perishables facility is estimated to costs $141 million and open in 2027. Mandich Group will contribute $98.5 million and PortMiami will provide $9 million towards the project. Additionally, PortMiami received a $33.5 million U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration Federal Port Infrastructure Development Program Grant for the project.

The new facility will provide advanced treatments and inspection capabilities for imported fruits, vegetables, flowers and other plant-based and perishable items. Using U.S. Department of Agriculture certified non-chemical treatments, the center is designed to expedite inspections while enhancing protection against invasive pests and diseases that threaten U.S. agriculture.