The Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA) announced that the International Association of Refrigerated Warehouses (IARW) in Brazil has merged with Associação Brasileira da Indústria de Armazenagem Frigorificada (ABIAF), the Brazilian temperature-controlled warehouse association.
The combined organizations will be known as GCCA Brazil. After a three-year joint venture agreement, both associations formally voted to approve the merger on 17 December 2020, a statement reads.
“We are excited to officially welcome ABIAF and its members into the GCCA family. The joining of our two organizations helps to strengthen the resources offered to members in Brazil,” Matthew Ott, president and CEO of GCCA said. “ABIAF members will have access to GCCA resources and greater exposure to a global marketplace.”
The objective of GCCA Brazil is to deliver services, resources, and programs that will add value to all Brazilian cold chain businesses and to build upon the legacy that ABIAF has created over the years.?Originally established in 1979, ABIAF was 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. In December 2017, GCCA and ABIAF entered into a three-year joint venture that enabled GCCA to provide additional value to the cold chain industry in Brazil. Members in Brazil and the ABIAF Board of Directors were key to the successful merger. Director of Friozem Logistica and Past Chairman of the Word Food Logistics Organization (WFLO), Fabio Fonseca, and CEO of SuperFrio and IARW Board Member (and previous Chairman of ABIAF), Francisco Moura, have been integral to the establishment of GCCA Brazil through their leadership and strategic advice.
The GCCA staff in Brazil include GCCA Brazil Director Isabela Perazza, who was hired in 2018, and Supervisor of Member Services Tatiana Nascimento, who was previously employed by ABIAF for 12 years. Additionally, GCCA Brazil recently hired a Government Affairs consultant, that will continue to work on the relationship with the Ministry of Agriculture and will support Brazilian members on the pursuit of specific regulations for the sector.