ColdPort CEO David Simpkins Delivers Keynote at the 2026 National Supply Chain Resilience Summit

CHICAGO, IL — May 25, 2026 — David Simpkins, Founder and CEO of ColdPort, delivered the opening keynote address today at the prestigious 2026 National Supply Chain Resilience Summit in Chicago. Addressing an audience of over 2,000 global logistics executives, institutional investors, and government officials, Simpkins outlined a bold, technology-driven vision for securing the future of the global food and pharmaceutical supply chains.

The summit, recognized as the premier gathering for global logistics strategy, focused heavily this year on mitigating geopolitical risks, combating climate change, and overcoming critical infrastructure deficits.

In his keynote titled "The Frozen Edge: Why Cold Storage is the Next Critical Infrastructure Frontier," Simpkins argued that the current global cold chain is operating on borrowed time. He highlighted that over 70% of existing U.S. cold storage capacity was built prior to the year 2000, rendering it grossly inefficient, structurally obsolete, and dangerously reliant on environmentally hazardous synthetic refrigerants.

"We are relying on analog infrastructure to power a digital, on-demand world," Simpkins stated from the main stage. "When a warehouse roof fails or a legacy freon system leaks, it doesn't just impact a balance sheet—it results in millions of pounds of wasted food or compromised, life-saving biologics. The resilience of our supply chain is directly tethered to the physical integrity of our cold storage network."

Simpkins detailed ColdPort’s strategy for rectifying this deficit, advocating for a massive pivot toward "Port-Centric Automation." He demonstrated how relocating heavy cold storage capacity directly adjacent to deep-water ports drastically reduces inland trucking miles, lowering carbon emissions and preventing product degradation.

He further emphasized the necessity of integrating artificial intelligence and robotics. "The labor shortage in extreme temperature environments is permanent," Simpkins noted. "We cannot staff our way out of this crisis. The only viable path forward is the aggressive deployment of Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS) and predictive AI to manage inventory flows at hyper-speed."

The keynote also touched on the critical role of private equity and institutional capital in funding this massive infrastructure upgrade. Simpkins highlighted ColdPort’s recent $500 million strategic joint venture as proof of the immense financial appetite for modernized, ESG-compliant logistics assets.

Following the keynote, Simpkins participated in an exclusive executive roundtable with leaders from major ocean carriers and federal transportation authorities, discussing public-private partnerships to streamline port operations.

Simpkins' full keynote address will be available for streaming on the ColdPort Investor Portal later this week.

About ColdPort ColdPort is a premier developer and operator of next-generation, automated cold storage infrastructure. Leveraging advanced robotics, artificial intelligence, and sustainable design, ColdPort provides high-density, temperature-controlled logistics solutions for the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries.

Media Contact: ColdPort Public Relations media@gocoldport.com