VIS-MIN'S Biggest Cold Storage Complex Opens in Gensan

P300M GENSAN COLD STORAGE COMPLEX. Gen. Santos City's Igloo Cold Storage Corporation, the biggest refrigeration warehousing service facility outside of Luzon opened last month with a simple inauguration ceremony graced by (L-R) owner and RD Group of Companies Chairman Rodrigo Rivera, EVP Dolores Rivera, Security Bank First VP Loretta Mangilit, Philbest FVP-COO Roland Salangsang, City Councilor Richard Atendido, RD AVP Richie Rivera and wife Cecille. This P300-million world-class project with its ten state-of-the-art cold storage rooms which can store 10,000 metric tons of frozen resources is located at Barangay Tambler, along the coast of Sarangani Bay. (GenSan CMO/avel manansala)

Just before the year 2007 came to a close, the P300-million Igloo Storage Complex Corporation, another testament to Gen. Santos City's economic boom, opened its doors through a simple inauguration ceremony on December 18, 2007 at its sprawling compound in Barangay Tambler, Gen. Santos City .

One of the forty existing business units under the RD Group of Companies, a wholly-owned Filipino conglomerate based in the country's Tuna Capital, this state-of-the-art refrigerated warehousing complex is the biggest of its kind outside of Luzon, capable of storing 10,000 metric tons of frozen resources.

This facility was designed to handle fresh and processed fish, meat, poultry, fruits, vegetables and other finished frozen products in any of its 10 cold storage rooms, six of which could store up to 1,200 metric tons of materials.

Local government and business leaders including City Councilor Richard Atendido, representing Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr., suppliers and contractors of the company, and the top honchos and employees of the RD Group were among those who graced the inauguration rites.

In his message before a guided tour inside the complex, RD Chairman Rodrigo Rivera said that aside from being equipped with an internationally accepted method of Cold Storage processes, Igloo upholds the commitment to comply with all statutory and regulatory requirements of food retailers and regulatory bodies including those from the European Union and the USFDA, among others.

It has also started to seek accreditation with other international relevant sectors such as Kosher Certifying Organizations, Earth Island Institute, ISO standard bodies and others applicable to its operations, he added.

For his part, Councilor Atendido thanked the RD Group of companies for continuing to support the local government in its goal to provide employment opportunities for the people while vowing in his capacity as a member of the Sangguniang Panlungsod to be more responsive to the needs of the city's investors. (GenSan CMO/avel manansala)