New $33M cold-storage facility in Pharr built to process 300 trucks per day

A $33 million cold-storage facility expected to create 150 jobs and process up to 300 trucks per day is now open in Pharr. 

CIL Fresh Pharr inaugurated the 142,600-square-foot refrigerated warehouse in Queenstown Park on Thursday.

The site, at the corner of Veterans and Las Milpas roads, is a block away from the future 365 Tollway and near the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge, one of the busiest land ports of entry for produce in the U.S.

“This is not just a new building; it is a statement about who we are as a region and where we are headed,” Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “This project represents what is possible when innovation, private investment and regional collaboration align.” 

Joaquin Spamer, president and CEO of CIL Group, said the project was four years in the making.

“We were operating in a facility that was no longer sufficient,” Spamer said about the company’s previous 45,000-square-foot facility which limited growth.

The new building more than triples the company’s operating space.

“Today marks an important milestone not only for CIL, but for the entire South Texas supply chain,” Todd Bernitt, vice president of managed services at Robinson Fresh, said. “This facility is more than a new building; it is a strategic investment in our future.”

Robinson Fresh, the fresh-produce division of global logistics giant C.H. Robinson — which manages roughly $23 billion in freight and 37 million shipments annually across dozens of countries — will serve as the anchor tenant.

The new facility includes 142,600 square feet of refrigerated warehouse space and 25,000 square feet of office space. It can hold up to 9,000 pallets and operates at temperatures starting at 33°F, with 69 loading docks and 14 separate cold rooms designed to store and move produce efficiently.

Aaron Demerson, president and CEO of the Texas Economic Development Corporation, said the new facility strengthens Texas’ logistics ecosystem and signals private-sector confidence.

“We do not take investments of this magnitude for granted in the great state of Texas,” he said.

Local officials framed the project as both an employment driver and a signal of regional competitiveness. 

“We are talking about 150 jobs and a $33 million investment. When Pharr wins, the entire region wins,” Pharr City Manager Jonathan Flores said. “Thank you for trusting our workforce, our business community and our position at the center of trade.”

Victor Perez, president and CEO of the Pharr Economic Development Corporation, said the impact will extend beyond city limits.

“The job creation and economic impact of this project benefit not only Pharr, but the entire region,” Perez said, noting that continued corridor growth is expected to spur additional investment in cold storage, dry warehousing and manufacturing.