Hoffberger Holdings, Inc. (HHI), Baltimore, Md., announced plans to expand its Port of Baltimore distribution center located at the Chesapeake Commerce Center adjacent to the Seagirt Marine Terminal, Baltimore’s international container terminal. The facility will be operated under the MTC Logistics banner, which has been operating temperature-controlled distribution centers since 1928.

“Our distribution center’s location immediately adjacent to the Port of Baltimore’s Seagirt Marine Terminal and within a half mile of two entrances to I-95 has lived up to our expectations,” says Harry Halpert, chairman of MTC Logistics. “Since opening in 2009, the feedback from our customers about this facility’s ability to integrate international and domestic services and to timely serve markets with our transportation affiliate—MLogistics—has been overwhelmingly positive and has placed us in a position to expand.”

Many factors have contributed to this being the right time to expand, according to Brooks Royster III, president of MTC Logistics.

“The strategic position immediately adjacent to the Seagirt Marine Terminal has allowed us to continue to expand our international service offerings,” Royster adds. “With the expansion of the Panama Canal slated for 2015, we needed to be ready to support the expanding demands for refrigerated cargo in the mid-Atlantic region. Due to the Port of Baltimore being one of only two ports on the East Coast able to accept the newly defined Panamax vessels, we needed to be ready for the additional business. Additionally, the recently announced P3 Alliance of Maersk, MSC and CMA/CGM will continue to accelerate the expansion of the Port of Baltimore. Our customers have reaped the benefits of max container loading and expedited container turn times through one of the largest and most productive intermodal terminals in the region. We are excited to be a part of this growing and healthy port community here in Baltimore.”

After completion, the facility will exceed 9 million cubic feet and offer approximately 32,000 racked pallet positions. ARCO Design/Build of Atlanta, responsible for design and construction of Phase I, has been contracted to design and construct Phase II of the facility, which will encompass 5 million cubic feet of temperature-controlled space complete with more than 15,000 specialized rack positions. The expansion is projected to be completed at the end of the third quarter 2014 and will add approximately 25 positions.

“We have been operating temperature-controlled distribution centers in Baltimore for nearly a century, and we continue to invest in this community,” says Royster. “If all goes as planned, we will be operational in time to meet next year’s busy holiday season.”

HHI is a diversified privately held investment company of the Hoffberger family. With the expansion, MTC Logistics will operate three distribution centers with 20,000,000 cubic feet of refrigerated and frozen space, serving the ports of Baltimore, Philadelphia and Wilmington.