Area Development
USA InvestCo plans to create 100 jobs and invest more than $15 million in a new cold storage facility at the Port of Wilmington, North Carolina.

The Port of Wilmington is owned and operated by the North Carolina State Ports Authority, the Port of Wilmington offers terminal facilities serving container, bulk and breakbulk operations. The company is developing the Port of Wilmington Cold Storage facility, a 75,000-square-foot cold storage facility that will store locally produced pork, poultry, fruits and vegetables. PWCS could eventually be expanded to 300,000 square feet depending on demand.

“North Carolina and the Greater Wilmington region have become a very desirable site for companies to locate and expand their operations,” said Governor Pat McCrory. “With the need for secure, cold storage growing throughout North Carolina, we welcome USA InvestCo’s investment.”

“We’re delighted about USA InvestCo joining the ranks of companies expanding and developing in North Carolina,” said North Carolina Secretary of Commerce Sharon Decker. “This major project will be a great asset for local and state companies that need cold storage facilities to ship their products from Wilmington’s port.”

“We are excited to be working closely with the State to create the only cold storage facility located on a port in the State of North Carolina,” said Chuck Schoninger, the Principal of USA InvestCo. “PWCS’s strategic location on the Port of Wilmington provides our import and export customers with logistical benefits and helps the state by creating new jobs.”

North Carolina Secretary of Transportation Tony Tata added, “We appreciate the support of the Council of State and the teamwork between the North Carolina Departments of Commerce, Agriculture and Transportation in advancing this important, job-producing project for the State of North Carolina.”

“North Carolina exported nearly $4 billion worth of agricultural products in 2012,” said N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Upgrades to the port at Wilmington will help our farmers and agribusinesses boost that number even higher. The cold storage facility is a vital piece of infrastructure that our producers have needed for a long time, and I’m happy that a public-private partnership will be able to make it a reality.”

USA InvestCo received assistance through a grant provided by the Golden LEAF Foundation to the North Carolina Southeast Regional Economic Development Partnership to fund equipment needed for the proposed cold storage facility at the Port of Wilmington.

The Port of Wilmington Cold Storage facility is a public-private venture in North Carolina. This project was conceived through a partnership with state agencies within North Carolina as a catalyst for future North Carolina economic development. Influential partners that helped with the project include: the N.C. Department of Commerce, N.C. Department of Transportation, N.C. Department of Agriculture, the N.C. State Ports Authority, the Golden LEAF Foundation, and the N.C. Southeast Partnership.