In This Issue

GCCA Webinar Prepares Businesses for Swine Flu

Prepare for 2010 at Your Chapter Meeting

GCCA Working to Understand Your HR Needs

Know Your Benefits, Maximize Your Membership

Refrigeration and Energy Committee Restructured

Only 3 Week Left to Save on 2010 Directory Ad Space

Sponsor GCCA’s Cold Chain Seminars in China

IARW Insurance Services

Cold Storage Industry News

Food Industry News

Government News

That’s right... by up to 25%*. Because iWarehouse collects information wirelessly from your fleet, helping managers enhance efficiency cut costs and improve profit performance. Call 1-800-235-7200 or visit www.raymondcorp.com/reduce for more information.

According to a recent report from the U.S. President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, swine flu could infect half the U.S. this fall and winter causing 1.8 million people to be hospitalized and as many as 90,000 deaths. Read more.

What will you do if your workforce falls ill? Tomorrow (Thursday, 27 August, 2009 1:55 - 2:55 PM EST), IARW is hosting a special online webinar to help you prepare your business to remain open and productive during a potential pandemic. Led by Tina Jones (U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration) and Connie Phipps (IARW/Lockton Insurance Service), the “Business Planning for the Pandemic Influenza” webinar will walk you through the steps of developing a comprehensive crisis management plan in case of pandemic flu. The webinar is only $50 for IARW Members with no limitation on the number of individuals who can participate at a single site. Register online now!

What trends will affect your region in the year to come? Find out at your 2009 IARW North American Chapter Meetings. From warehouse liabilities to theft prevention, this September and October your Chapter is tackling the tough issues that will impact the refrigerated warehousing industry in your region next year. With peer-to-peer knowledge sharing and content-rich programming, you’ll walk away with new strategies to help you mitigate the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities to come in 2010. Be a part of the discussion and register today. Chapter Dates: Heartland (10-11 September); North Pacific (16-18 September); Southeastern (17-19 September); North Atlantic (23-25 September); South Pacific (8-9 October); and Southwestern (14-15 October). Find your Chapter.

GCCA Director of Education and Training Colleen Caster spent an afternoon in Atlanta, Georgia, USA this month visiting with Maryam Komejan, the new Executive Vice President of Human Resources at AmeriCold. Komejan is leading AmeriCold through a corporate cultural transformation. The goal of the initiative is to create a culture that is more innovative and participatory by empowering all employees to create their own working culture. Previously, Komejan was Senior Vice President of the Donnelly Corporation, an international automotive systems supplier with 25 plants in eight different countries.

Caster’s visit to AmeriCold is the beginning of a GCCA effort to learn where members may need assistance with their human resource functions. How can we help you and your company? Are there HR services that GCCA can supply? Please email your comments or questions to Colleen Caster at ccaster@gcca.org.

How much time have you exhausted trying to calculate the cost of freezing or how to freeze for optimum quality? WFLO SAC members have created online calculators available to calculate both of these common every day questions. The Cooling/Freezing Cost Calculator and Freezing for Optimum Quality Calculators are both available on the WFLO website and are free member benefits for every warehouse member. Click here to view more of your WFLO members-only food science resources.

Beginning in 2009, the GCCA Refrigeration and Energy Committee has been restructured to improve the technology and services made available to the IARW members. A new executive committee of the Refrigeration and Energy Committee has been formed and is comprised of two representatives of the IIAR, Bruce Badger and Brian Marriott, two representatives from Europe, Hans Van Leeuwen and Garry Tillburn and two IARW members, Bonnie Geise and Jerry von Dohlen. This structure brings the technical expertise of IIAR and the global perspective of the Europeans to this important committee.

The committee will continue to hold the July meeting at the GCCA Assembly of Committees, but there will be many more initiatives throughout the year. For example, the committee will conduct outreach to North America IARW Chapters and European Members, provide an inquiry service similar to the WFLO Scientific Advisory Counsel, help design and staff education programs, and provide a support mechanism to help our members address regulations.

Regulations continue to be an important issue for members. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has instituted a new National Emphasis Program (NEP) targeting Process Safety Management in chemical facilities. Programmed NEP inspections will be focused in the Northeast, Midwest and Pacific Northwest USA. Organizations that don’t have a full-time compliance specialist should consider hiring a consultant to help them with safety and compliance. The committee will publish a list of experts as a resource for members. The committee will also provide resources to help members address first responder training.

If you have any questions regarding the services of the new committee or refrigeration and energy technology, please contact GCCA Director of Government Affairs Lowell Randel at lrandel@gcca.org.

Take advantage of 5% off Early Bird Discount by reserving your ad space in the upcoming 2010 Global Cold Chain Directory by 16 September. The Directory will go to over 3,000 industry buyers and reaches all sectors of the industry, including PRWs, transportation companies, cold storage construction companies, and food product retailers. It’s the only Directory that spans the global cold chain industry. Don’t leave your ad out of this essential industry resource guide! Contact James Rogers at jrogers@gcca.org or +1 703 373 4300 and learn how your company can participate. Download your Insertion Order Form here.

Recently, The Wall Street Journal reported that the International Monetary Fund has forecasted China's real gross domestic product will grow 7.5% this year, confirming that China is still one of the top growth markets in the world. Could your bottom line benefit from entry into this fast emerging market?

This October, the Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA) will be tapping into China’s market potential with a series of cold chain seminars sponsored by the United States Trade Development Agency (USTDA). Over the course of three days (19-23 October 2009), leading U.S. firms will present the latest in refrigeration warehousing and transportation technologies and best practices in three different cities: Shanghai, Chengdu and Guangzhou. Nearly 200 people are expected to attend each of the three seminars, making this the perfect opportunity to introduce your company to major cold chain players throughout the Chinese market. A variety of sponsorship opportunities are available, learn more about them here.

Don’t miss out on the best possible platform for expanding your company’s name and reputation into the hottest market in the world. For more information on this event contact Richard Tracy at rtracy@gcca.org or +1 703 373 4300.

If it’s time for your insurance policy renewals, remember the IARW Insurance Services Team for all of your insurance needs. We can offer many lines of insurance coverage and have the expertise in your industry that you won’t find elsewhere. Protect yourself and your financial bottom line by calling on your IARW Insurance Services team. Contact Connie Phipps at +1 816 960 9946 or cphipps@lockton.com.

Hanson Logistics announced that  the company has been named to Food Logistics' 2009 Top 70 3PLs.  See full release.

The Frozen Food Foundation announced its sponsorship of the inaugural Frozen Food Foundation Freezing Research Award.  See full release.

Willis McLeese, IARW Chairman 1982-1983 and TRRF (WFLO) Chairman 1976-1977, was recently profiled by the Toronto Star in recognition of his impressive career.  See full story from the Toronto Star.

George M. Sayre, former IARW board member, passed away on 24 August 2009.  Sayre contributed to the association and the cold storage industry for many years.  See full story.

Imperial Manufacturing announced that Jim Coffey joined the company as director of sales and marketing.  See full story from QSR.

International Cold Storage, a U.S. company owned by Carrier Commercial Refrigeration, has been acquired by Rainey Road LLC, the owners of two US competitors.  See full story from ACR News.

A refrigerated warehouse for inland fishing resources, with a capacity to store 1,000 tonnes of fish, was opened on 15 August in Negage, Angola.  See full story from MacauHub.

Frozen food stocks in refrigerated warehouses on July 31 were greater than year-earlier levels for cheese, pork, butter, eggs, beef and turkey. See full report.