Maersk Container Industry (MCI) has delivered its first refrigerated containers from a new factory in San Antonio, Chile.
“For many years, China has up until now been the only country with reefer container production,” MCI said of the new facility.
“In this sweet spot of fruit exporters, we have placed the factory right where the demand is. For the first time ever in South America, reefer containers can go straight ‘from factory to farm’,” said Stig Hoffmeyer, chief executive officer of MCI.
Built at a cost of $200 million, and employing 1,000 workers, Hoffmeyer said production at the San Antonio factory will be gradually ramped up to 25,000 refrigerated containers annually. The factory is designed so that it could be expanded and produce 40,000 containers annually by 2020.
