Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - 2.6 Storage Assessment | Digital Logistics Capacity Assessments

Overview

In Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, storage and warehousing facilities support the country's commercial, agricultural, and humanitarian operations. The primary warehousing infrastructure is on the main island of Saint Vincent, particularly in and around the capital city, Kingstown. These facilities comprise public and private warehouses strategically positioned near the port and commercial hubs to ensure efficient storage and distribution of goods within St. Vincent and to the Grenadine islands.

Warehousing in St. Vincent and the Grenadines is limited. The public warehouses are at Kingstown Port, Campden Park Container Port, and Argyle Airport. Major commercial entities such as Coreas Distribution Ltd, Massy's stores, One Saint Vincent Group, and C.K Greaves & Co Ltd have privately owned warehouses for storing business supplies. A few commercial warehouses are available for rent, such as warehouses owned by General Maritime Agencies, La Fleur Durant, and Big Al's Equipment Inc., are available for rent. However, availability of commercial warehouses is scarce due to limited space and high occupancy. There are warehouses dedicated to storing agricultural produce in St. Vincent. The Government-owned Central Medical Stores (CMS) procures, manages, and distributes all pharmaceuticals and medical supplies for government health institutions. The CMS has a cold storage capacity of 213.45m3 at 15-25°C and 7.15m at 2-8°C.

During emergencies, warehousing facilities are critical in storing and distributing relief supplies. The National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) operates a main warehouse at Campden Park (4572 ft2) and five satellite warehouses in Barouallie (2341 ft2), Rose Hall (1237 ft2), Sandy Bay (1277 ft2), Georgetown, and Mesopotamia, for prepositioning essential items.

In the aftermath of the recent volcanic eruption, public warehouses became congested, causing a shortage of storage space. To mitigate this, Mobile Storage Units were set up on the tarmac of the decommissioned airport. The Government repurposed Otley Hall marina to store water tanks and leveraged private non-commercial facilities with cold storage capacity. Collaborating with international organizations and NGOs, the Government employed these facilities for stockpiling essential items such as food, water, medical supplies, and shelter materials. Organizations like the Red Cross had to lease privately owned warehousing at a substantial cost. Quickly mobilizing and distributing these resources is pivotal for effective disaster response and recovery. Recent investments in expanding and enhancing storage facilities, such as the NEMO main warehouse at Campden Park, are geared toward augmenting their capacity and resilience, ensuring SVG is better prepared for future emergencies. In Barbados, the Caribbean Regional Logistics Hub & Centre of Excellence is currently under construction. The 11,500 sqm site will accommodate 1,500 pallet positions and a surge area for 20x40ft containers. This facility will serve as a crucial platform for preparedness, response, and recovery in the region.

For more information on storage company contact details, please see the following link: 4.6 Storage and Milling Companies Contact List

Commercial Storage

There are very few commercial storage facilities with limited space and availability in SVG.

Location	Kingstown
Owner	General Maritime Agency
Available for Rent	Yes (if available)
General Cargo Capacity *(mt / m² / m³)*	1589m2 (17,100 ft2)
Type of Facility	Unspecified (made of 32 different units each measuring between 64 ft2 – 3972 ft2))
Access to the Facility	N/A
Condition of the Facility	Good
Minimum Operating Standards	N/A
SOPs	N/A
Provides Storage and Services for Medical Supplies	N/A
Additional services	This company also serves as a ship's agent for Admiral Bay
Location(s)	Kingstown and Glen
Owner	Big Al’s Equipment Inc.
Available for Rent	Yes (if available)
General Cargo Capacity *(mt / m² / m³)*	Unit 1: 3000 ft2 (Glen) Unit 2: 3200 ft2 (Kingstown)
Type of Facility	Open space with Galvanized roof and Flooring
Access to the Facility	Flat
Condition of the Facility	Good
Minimum Operating Standards	N/A
SOPs	N/A
Provides Storage and Services for Medical Supplies	N/A
Additional services	Big Al’s also has 20 ft containers available for storage

Location	Arnos Vale
Owner	La Fleur Durant
Available for Rent	Yes (if available)
General Cargo Capacity *(mt / m² / m³)*	Unit 1: 28m2 (300 ft2) Unit 2: 297m2 (3200 ft2)
Type of Facility	Unspecified
Access to the Facility	N/A
Condition of the Facility	Good
Minimum Operating Standards	N/A
SOPs	N/A
Provides Storage and Services for Medical Supplies	N/A
Additional services

Storage Used by Humanitarian Organizations

As explained in section 1, during emergencies, NEMO is responsible for receiving relief items. NEMO then manages the storage and distribution of these items. The National Red Cross also receives relief items, rents commercial storage, and uses a 40ft storage container they own. Currently, UN agencies in SVG are collaborating with NEMO and CDEMA to preposition relief items in various NEMO warehouses across SVG.

Public Sector Storage

The National Emergency Management Organization has its main warehouse at Campden Park, which is currently undergoing retrofitting. There are five satellite warehouses in Barrouallie, Rose Hall, Sandy Bay, George Town, and Mesopotamia.

The other warehouses owned by the Government are those at the ports and the airports, which are only available for cargo receipt from the different entry points and not long-term storage.

Location	Campden Park
Ministry / Agency	National Security/ National Emergency Management Organization
Use Possibility	No
General Cargo Capacity *(mt / m² / m³)*	425m2 (4572 ft2)
Type of Facility	Other
Access to the Facility	Flat
Condition of the Facility	Retrofitting is ongoing: expansion works are on-going vertically and horizontally
Minimum Operating Standards	N/A
SOPs	N/A
Provides Storage and Services for Medical Supplies	No
Additional services	N/A

Medical Supplies

Medical Logistics and cold chain storage options remain a challenge in SVG. Temperature-sensitive medical supplies are received in refers which are plugged at the ports. Subsequently, these are moved to little freezers for storage in the Central Medical Stores (CMS) and health facilities.

Location	Kingstown
Owner/ Organization/ Ministry / Agency	Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment- Central Medical Stores
Bonded/Non-bonded	Non-Bonded
Use / Sharing / Renting Possibility	N/A
15 to 25°C Capacity (m³)	213.45m3
2 to 8°C capacity (m³)	7.15m3
- 25 to - 15°C Capacity (m³)	N/A
- 80 to - 60°C Capacity (m³)	N/A
Narcotics Capacity (m³)	60.39m3
Power	The facility's electric source is from electric mains, and in the event of a power failure, the facility has a backup generator, which is regularly checked and maintained by an electrician from St. Vincent Electricity (VINLEC).
Access to the Facility	Raised siding
Condition of the Facility	Structurally sound and there is no room for expansion at the current location
SOPs	N/A
Certifications	Certifications issued by the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Pharmacy Council
Minimum Operating Standards	Yes
Good Services Practices	N/A
Tracking systems	Yes. Health Information System and Ledgers
Temperature Control Systems	No
Humidity and Light Regulation	No
Cold Storage Equipment	The cold storage equipment are maintained twice annually
Qualified Staff	Qualified staff include Pharmacists, Brokers, clerks, attendants. There are no logisticians.
Pharmaceutical Waste	There is a designated area for storing pharmaceutical waste until disposal. CMS records the pharmaceutical waste lot number, expiry date, and quantity and sends the list to the Environmental Health Officer, who issues a disposal certificate. The store notifies the solid waste department and schedules a collection date to remove the waste from the facility for disposal at the landfill.
Additional Services	N/A