The Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA) and the Associação Brasileira da Indústria de Armazenagem Reigorificada (ABIAF) have partnered to broaden GCCA’s presence in South America and to help ABIAF strengthen its member offerings by providing services in areas such as communications, training, events, government and international affairs. The partnership will establish an office in Araraquara, Sao Paul, Brazil.

GCCA represents all major industries engaged in temperature-controlled logistics and is an alliance between the International Association of Refrigerated Warehouses, the World Food Logistics Organization, the International Refrigerated Transportation Association and the International Association for Cold Storage Construction. It has global offices and cold chain development projects dedicated to building and maintaining the cold chain worldwide.

“The partnership helps to strengthen both GCCA and ABIAF as organizations,” said Richard Tracy, GCCA Vice President of International Programs. “ABIAF members will have access to GCCA resources and greater exposure to a global marketplace.  In return, our office in the region will help GCCA members have deeper access to an established Brazilian market.

Established in 1979, ABIAF is recognized as Brazil’s leading association for all issues related to the cold chain, striving to provide the best services for all its members at a reasonable cost.

“ABIAF and its membership are very pleased to be partnering with the Global Cold Chain Alliance,” stated Roberto Fantoni, Vice President - Business Development, Cefri. “This partnership will provide ABIAF members with great value for their membership investment as now they will receive not only ABIAF member benefits but GCCA member benefits as well.”

The partnership comes as GCCA is presenting at the Cool Logistics Americas event being held from May 15-16, 2014 and hosting a Cold Chain Executive Connection on May 16, 2014, both events taking place in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The Cold Chain Executive Connection is an exclusive meeting that will attract key executives in the Sao Paulo cold chain industry to participate in a networking lunch with fellow Presidents, CEO’s, Vice Presidents,  and senior personnel responsible for supply chain management and logistics.