AC repair in Pooler, GA

KANSAS CITY, Mo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Vertical Cold Storage, a developer and operator of temperature-controlled distribution centers sponsored by real estate investment firm Platform Ventures, purchased a frozen distribution center near the Port of Savannah in Pooler, GA. Terms were not disclosed.

“Our Pooler cold storage facility is just nine miles from the Port of Savannah, the fastest-growing container terminal in the United States. With its strategic location near the port, high-capacity blast freezing, and comprehensive import/export capabilities, this facility enables us to provide our customers with faster, more efficient access to global markets,” said West Hutchison, President and CEO of Vertical Cold Storage.

The facility, located at 220 Nordic Way, Pooler, GA, is nearly 350,000 square feet, has 40 dock doors, and includes over 35,000 pallet positions. Built in 2013, it has the capacity to blast freeze up to 40 loads per day and features an extended dock designed to support high volumes of imports and exports. Storage areas have temperatures ranging from -20°F to +40°F. The warehouse is USDA inspection certified.

Vertical Cold Storage is immediately implementing its industry-leading technology and operational processes at the facility. The facility is perfectly suited for handling frozen import/export commodities like poultry, seafood, produce, and other perishable products. It is managed by Anthony Morgan, a seasoned General Manager with extensive expertise in overseeing cold storage and port operations.

“Georgia Ports is delighted to welcome Vertical Cold Storage to the greater Savannah area and know they will be very successful. We will work to ensure that Vertical Cold Storage and its customers see all the benefits of doing business in Southeast Georgia, including a highly skilled workforce and an efficient intermodal network,” said Flavio Batista, Chief Commercial Officer of Georgia Ports.

About Vertical Cold Storage

Vertical Cold Storage is an industry leader in delivering reliable, flexible, and cost-effective cold storage and logistics solutions for the food and beverage industry. We are committed to giving our customers the competitive edge they need to consistently thrive in the complex and ever-evolving business environment of perishables. We offer temperature-controlled cold storage warehousing and distribution solutions in the cities and surrounding areas of Chicago, Dallas, Indianapolis, Charlotte, Miami, and more. Our services are backed by a goal-oriented team of industry veterans and cutting-edge technology with a singular focus on quality results and excellent customer service. Vertical Cold is focused on acquiring and integrating existing and developing greenfield cold storage facilities and providing a consistent customer experience across our entire platform. More information is available at www.verticalcold.com.

About Platform Ventures

Platform Ventures, LLC (or the “Firm”) is an independent, entrepreneurial private investment firm that invests through closed and open-end opportunistic real estate funds with scalable investment strategies. The Firm’s operator-oriented investment platform is vertically integrated across logistics, housing, and real estate credit through subsidiaries that include Platform Investments, LLC, a wholly owned SEC registered investment advisor. The Firm invests selectively across the capital structure in direct acquisitions, joint ventures, recapitalizations, and reorganizations. Platform Investments, LLC, manages over $3.4 billion of assets¹ on behalf of institutional, family office and high net worth investors. Visit platformv.com for more information.

Contacts

Media Susan Hrabik Vertical Cold Storage (402) 880-5592 susan.hrabik@verticalcold.com

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - A statewide child exploitation operation dubbed “Operation Byte Down” has led to the arrest of 17 people across Georgia.

According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, GBI Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit, along with 33other agencies that are members of the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, participated in the operation.

Operation Byte Down identified 13 children that were living in households where online child sexual exploitation was occurring and one of those arrested admitted to current or prior hands-on sexual offenses against a child.

The GBI says the following people were arrested during Operation Byte Down and charged with Sexual Exploitation of Children and other related offenses:

The GBI says Operation Byte Down was a statewide, multi-jurisdictional coordinated effort by the Georgia ICAC Task Force to identify and arrest those involved in technology facilitated crimes against children.

They said Operation Byte Down involved months of planning and included both proactive and reactive cases investigated by the GBI and affiliate agencies with the Georgia ICAC Task Force.

The GBI says proactive investigations consisted of targeting peer-to-peer network users sharing Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), commonly known as child pornography, and undercover chat investigations targeting those that communicate with and arrange to meet who they believe to be a child for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts.

Reactive investigations consisted of working CyberTips received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that involved the possession, distribution, and/or manufacturing of CSAM, according to the GBI.

The GBI says during Operation Byte Down, law enforcement agencies within the Georgia ICAC Task Force executed 30 residential search warrants across the State of Georgia.

They say these search warrants and other enforcement actions resulted in the arrest of 17 people.

Digital forensic investigators previewed 137 electronic devices on scene and seized 361 electronic devices, including cellular phones, tablets, computers, hard drives, and various electronic data storage devices.

More arrests are possible once complete forensic processing of the seized electronic devices are complete, according to the GBI.

In addition to the GBI, the host agency for the Georgia ICAC Task Force, the following agencies participated in Operation Byte Down:

The GBI says this investigation is part of the ongoing effort by the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, housed within the GBI’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit, to identify those involved in the trade of child sexual abuse material.

The ICAC Program, created by the U.S. Department of Justice, was developed in response to the increasing number of children and teenagers using the Internet, the proliferation of child sexual abuse material, and the heightened online activity by predators searching for unsupervised contact with underage victims.

Anyone with information about other cases of child exploitation is asked to contact the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit at 404.270.8870 or report via the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children CyberTipline.

Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.

Copyright 2025 WTOC. All rights reserved.

New short term rental regulations and zoning were among hot button issues at Wednesday’s city council retreat

POOLER, Ga. (WTOC) - At the beginning of Pooler’s annual city council retreat Wednesday, City Manager Heath Lloyd gave a plea to councilmembers regarding their year-long efforts to create a short-term rental ordinance.

The city imposed a moratorium on new short-term rentals in March 2024, which garnered both support and criticism from residents worried about the impact the pause would have.

“We need to figure out how to manage them, but we want to manage them with a soft hand where we’re allowing some flexibility but we’re drawing hard lines where we need to,” said Lloyd.

Staff then presented leaders with the proposed ordinance, which if approved, would require new short-term rentals, or STRs, to be at least 500 feet apart.

Among the main sticking points, was which existing STRs would be grandfathered in and not have to follow the new distance requirement. Some councilmembers also had question about how short-term rental property owners would be notified of the possible changes.

Mayor Karen Williams said STR owners will have to prove they were operating before the moratorium took effect.

“You can’t operate illegally during a moratorium and expect to be grandfathered in,” said Mayor Williams.

Staff also showed councilmembers a map of where STRs are believed to be operating in the city. 37 are permitted while more than 100 are operating unpermitted, according to Lloyd.

Council is set for a March 3 final vote on the proposed ordinance. If it passes, the new regulations will go into effect on March 18, the day after St. Patrick’s Day.

“It’s happening all over. You don’t have to be a destination vacation city,” said Mayor Williams. “We had to find a way to control it so it would not get out of hand.”

Documents show the city approved a nearly 10 thousand dollar contract with software company Granicus in November to track and monitor STRs while also enforcing the ordinance.

Lloyd hopes the new software will help identify any lost revenue from rentals operating without a permit.

“Yes, we are missing some revenue, but we hope that we are getting the bulk of our revenue from those fees that come from Airbnb,” said Lloyd.

Leaders discuss future of development

Pooler’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan and Unified Development Ordinance were also widely discussed Wednesday.

Leaders gave an update on a possible rewrite to parts of the ordinance that governs how land is used and developed.

City staff noted that Pooler is too developed to start from scratch but they do aim to strengthen parts of the ordinance and change some requirements.

“We understand that land use and zoning and how this city grows and where it grows and the different type of uses is going to be our critical issue going into the next 10-15, 20 years,” said Lloyd.

Copyright 2025 WTOC. All rights reserved.

In early May, Pooler got one step closer to opening one of five Wawa’s expected to open in southeast Georgia within the year.

As previously reported by the Savannah Morning News, the chain expected to complete construction on the Pooler site and locations in Brunswick and Jesup by the end of 2024 or early 2025. According to a representative from Wawa, the Pooler location will open in the second quarter of this year.

Two locations in Hinesville at 825 E. General Stewart Way and 721 Veterans Parkway are expected to open in the first quarter of this year.

The convenience store broke ground at the intersection of Pooler Parkway and Pine Barren Road after being approved by Pooler City Council in February 2024.

Wawa offers specialty beverages, grocery items, made-to-order meals, snacks and desserts, which have earned it a cult-like following. Wawa plans to open three to four stores a year in Georgia, with a goal of approximately 30 stores across the state with five specifically in the greater Savannah area where the convenience store market is crowded with other chains such as Parker's Kitchen and Enmarket.

Wawa fans celebrate the groundbreaking for the future Pooler location

First Wawa open in Georgia, two more locations opening next week. Here's where

Wawa invests $7 million per store and employs 140 contractors and local partners with 35 associates per store. They expect to create almost 1,000 long-term new jobs in Georgia as a result of the expansion.

"This is definitely about Pooler and the Greater Savannah area but it's also about spreading our wings into a new region and the state," said John Poplawski, Wawa Vice President & Chief Real Estate Officer in an interview in May 2024. "For Wawa, introducing our culture, our food, it's always thrilling to be able to bring that to a new place or back to people who have relocated."

Destini Ambus is the general assignment reporter for the Savannah Morning News, covering the municipalities, and community and cultural programs. You can reach her at DAmbus@gannett.com