The Port of Los Angeles has signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the City of Shafter, Calif. and The Wonderful Company to promote more efficient two-way trade connections with California’s Central Valley, with a focus on bringing more U.S. exports through the Port and its terminals.
Central to the agreement is the Wonderful Logistics Center, a 3,400-acre, master-planned industrial development owned by The Wonderful Company. Located strategically along the BNSF rail mainline in Shafter—a fast-growing economic area near Bakersfield—the logistics hub and container depot already serves multiple Fortune 100 companies, including Ross, Amazon, Target, Walmart, among others, and is uniquely positioned to support exports from the San Joaquin Valley and beyond.
“Both The Wonderful Company and the City of Shafter have a well-planned vision for creating jobs and promoting economic growth in the Central Valley, and the Port of Los Angeles stands ready to help,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. “This agreement represents our commitment to support faster and more efficient service to and from the Central Valley right to our terminals and to markets across the world.”
“Our partnership with the Port of Los Angeles marks a significant evolution in the supply chain, enhancing cargo velocity and enabling California’s farmers to become more competitive and agile in the global marketplace,” said Wonderful’s Vice President of Logistics Sepehr Matinifar.
Specifics of the agreement include a pledge to promote sustainable and efficient two-way domestic and international trade connections between the Wonderful Logistics Center and the Port; conduct exporter outreach in the Central Valley; strategize on ways to develop mutually beneficial business opportunities; collaborate and educate supply chain stakeholders on the partnership benefits to the state and national economy; and share best practices on goods movement workforce training and development.
The Wonderful Company will also be adding a new international rail terminal at the Center, scheduled for completion in 2026. Serving importers and exporters with a dedicated shuttle train running between the San Pedro Bay port complex and Shafter, the rail terminal will increase efficiency and capacity, and deliver significant environmental benefits by reducing truck traffic and streamlining container movement. Nearby housing, job training and other community amenities are also planned to support the Center’s expansion.
Signing of the agreement supports recent efforts by the Port of Los Angeles to better leverage the surplus of empty containers at its terminals, and more efficiently position those for agricultural exporters. The Wonderful Company is one of the largest agriculture, real estate, and consumer packaged goods companies in the U.S, and one of the largest owners and operators of farming and business properties in the Central Valley.
