Lineage adds in-house USDA inspection services for imported proteins to New Orleans East cold storage facility to help strengthen food supply chains
The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) and Lineage, Inc. (Lineage) one of the world’s largest providers of temperature-controlled warehousing and integrated transportation solutions, announce newly added services for the global food supply chain. I-house USDA import inspections will now take place at Lineage’s Jourdan Road cold storage facility in New Orleans East. I-Houses, or import houses, are facilities that specialize in streamlined, on-site USDA inspection services for imported proteins. The new import service complements Lineage’s existing USDA export inspection services at its Jourdan Road facility.
Lineage has two, major cold-storage facilities at the Port of New Orleans. One is located at the Henry Clay Avenue Wharf in Uptown New Orleans. The other cold-storage complex is located on Jourdan Road in New Orleans East along the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal.
Lineage entered the New Orleans market in 2020 by acquiring New Orleans Cold Storage as part of its acquisition of Emergent Cold. New Orleans Cold Storage was the oldest cold storage operator in North America, founded in 1885. In 2021, a $42 million expansion of Lineage’s Jourdan Road facility was announced, growing from 160,000 square feet to 304,000 square feet. The project was completed in 2022. Additionally, through State of Louisiana and Port NOLA funding, an approximately $20 million investment in infrastructure updates is also being made to the Jourdan Road facility. Shipments from the cold-storage facilities of Lineage draw upon multiple Louisiana poultry producers including hatcheries, feed mills, broiler complexes, and processing plants.
“In addition to the new import services, we also continue to appreciate the value-added exports of Lineage that strengthen Louisiana’s $1.6 billion poultry industry, including nearly 300 commercial broiler producers throughout 11 parishes,” said Port NOLA President & CEO and New Orleans Public Belt Railroad (NOPB) CEO, Beth Branch. “We look forward to expanding our partnership with Lineage to continue to be a key player in the global food supply chain.”
Lineage’s two cold-storage facilities at the Port of New Orleans span more than 460,000 square feet and offer many ancillary services including blast freezing as well as integrated transportation supply chain solutions.
“Streamlined inspection services are crucial for products like meat and poultry, which require 100% USDA inspection before hitting the market. Having this capability onsite helps get these products to market quickly and efficiently while meeting all regulatory requirements,” said Brian Beattie, Lineage President, Western US Operations. “The Port of New Orleans and its strategic location are critical to helping feed the country and the world. Lineage hopes to bring additional business to New Orleans and serve customers importing beef, pork, exotic meats, and various seafood products with our new I-House capabilities.”
About Port NOLA
The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) is a modern multimodal gateway for global commerce and an in-demand cruise port — delivering seamless, integrated logistics solutions between river, rail, and road. Port NOLA is a diverse deep-water port uniquely located on the Mississippi River near the Gulf of Mexico — with access to 30-plus major inland hubs such as Dallas, Memphis, Chicago, and Canada via 14,500 miles of waterways, 6 Class I railroads and interstate roadways. Strategic alignment with the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad, a Class III connecting railroad, strengthens Port NOLA’s position as an integrated hub and supports the Port’s mission of driving regional economic prosperity.
About Lineage
Lineage, Inc. (NASDAQ: LINE) is the world’s largest global temperature-controlled warehouse REIT with a network of over 480 strategically located facilities totaling over 84 million square feet and approximately 3.0 billion cubic feet of capacity across countries in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. Coupling end-to-end supply chain solutions and technology, Lineage partners with some of the world’s largest food and beverage producers, retailers, and distributors to help increase distribution efficiency, advance sustainability, minimize supply chain waste, and, most importantly, feed the world. Learn more at onelineage.com and join us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and X.
