COLUMBIA, SC – Millard Refrigerated Services plans to develop and operate a new, $42 million, cold storage distribution facility in Charleston County, SC, that is expected to create 87 new jobs. The facility will freeze and store poultry, pork and beef products destined for export to foreign markets.

“The facility will give us access to the world-class port in Charleston and provide an efficient hub for our customers along the East Coast and throughout the Southeast,” said Lance Larsen, president and CEO of Millard Refrigerated Services.

The state-of-the-art cold storage facility will be built in the Palmetto Commerce Park, located in North Charleston.

Millard Refrigerated Services expects to begin work on the building in the spring of 2013, and start operations by 2014.

“The port community welcomes Millard to the area, as their presence will mean increased activity through the Port of Charleston’s container facilities,” said Jim Newsome, president and CEO of the South Carolina Ports Authority. “Exports of refrigerated cargo have continued to rise, and these heavy exports must find their way to ports with deep-water capabilities, like Charleston.”

Hiring for the new positions will begin in mid-2013. Anyone interested in job opportunities with the company should visit the careers section of Millard website (www.millardref.com).

Millard Refrigerated Services serves all of North America through the operation of 36 regional facilities, and is the second-largest refrigerated warehouse and distribution company in the US. In addition to cold storage warehousing and transportation, it provides clients with a wide variety of other value-added services including High Pressure Pasteurization (HPP), logistics support and import/export assistance.