b'16American Journal ofTransportation ajot.comOut of the box with SeaCube:TEMPERATURE-CONTROLLED CEO says cold chain resilientLOGISTICS TRI-ANNUALand still growingBy Andrew Meadows, AJOTSeaCube Container Leasingmaritime choke points that need says in 2025 the company wasto remain open to navigation. If theworldslargestinvestorinnot,theimpactswillnotonly refrigeratedequipment.Uncer- be felt regionally in the Middle taintygripsthedrycontainerEast, but globally as ships and market,however,SeaCubeequipment back up and end up insistsreeferdemandremainsoutofposition.Networkcon-robust,buoyedbyanexpand- gestion will follow, and you will ing list of pharmaceutical, food,see equipment and vessel short-andperishabledemandacrossages. Relay ports that serve the theglobe.SeaCubescustom- MiddleEastwillespeciallybe ers are a whos who of shippingimpactedlikeSingapore,Tan-includingtruckingcompanies,jong Pelepas and Colombo. This manufacturers and 3PLs. RobertsituationinthePersianGulf Bob Sappio, SeaCubes CEOwith Iran will impact and post-since2017,hascompiledanpone any near-term return to the impressive40-yearmaritimeRed Sea.career and remains a respectedAJOT: Is the refrigerated cargo voiceintheglobalshippingmarket continuing to prove dura-industry.The American Journalble amid shifting trade policy and ofTransportationwasableto(CAPACITYcontinued on recently touch base with Sappiopage 18)tofireafewquestionsathim and get his insight on a variety of topics. AJOT: You were not able to serve this year on the TPM2026 panel discussion titled Invest-ing in the Cold ChainIs It Still a Good Bet? So, we will ask you.Is it still a good bet? Sappio: The global refrig-eratedcargomarketcontinues to be resilient. In 2025 we saw growth of about 6% in the reefer trade supported by the fresh food andproteinsegments.Weare forecasting continued growth in the sector of about 4% CAGR through 2029. Bob Sappio, SeaCubes CEOAJOT:Yourecentlysaid Lookingtothehorizon,2026 doesntlookmuchimproved from 2025s volatility and uncer-tainty due to trade policy, geo-politicsandportcongestion, etc. Would you mind expanding on those thoughts?Sappio:Disruptions,com-plexity, and an uncertain macro environmentisnolongera sometime event, it is now an all the time event. Uncertainty will be our constant companion, and we will need to accept that and navigateacourseforwardthat allows us to adapt and overcome these challenges. AJOT: How is the military escalation in Iran going to affect the Return to the Red Sea and subsequentlytheglobalship-pingenvironmentwhomany have said has too many ships and too many dry containers in the system?Sappio: The military esca-lation in Iran adds to an already volatileanddangeroussitua-tionintheregionanddirectly impactsglobalshipping.The Straits of Hormuz, the Red Sea and Bab al Mandeb Strait are key'