Zona Franca La Cayena

What Zona Franca La Cayena does

Zona Franca La Cayena is a privately operated industrial free-trade zone located in Barranquilla, Atlántico, Colombia, operated by Zona Franca del Caribe S.A.S. (NIT 900.107.673-2), an authorized "Usuario Operador" under DIAN Resolution 12560 of October 25, 2007, with a 30-year declaration extension secured in 2020-2021. The park hosts 40+ qualified users across 15+ economic sectors (aeronautical, cosmetics, ceramics, metallurgy, packaging, recycling, baby food, architectural metalwork, and logistics) on a footprint that includes a 1,500,000 m² expansion declared in 2013. Core products are serviced industrial lots (from approximately 2,700 m², with available units ranging up to 145,386 m²) and warehouses (from 500 m²) sold or leased directly, supplemented by recurring user-operator service fees for customs administration, qualification support, and compliance under the free-trade regime.

The park's underlying platform combines industrial-grade utilities (6-inch high-pressure PVC hydraulic networks at 10 L/s, underground 34.5 kV high-voltage grid, gas regulating substation, 36-wire fiber-optic Internet, stormwater/wastewater treatment, 80-ton truck scales, and 24/7 security) with a recently modernized operational automation stack ("Cayena + Eficiente," launched October 2024) that integrates smart license-plate-reading cameras, vehicle identification radars, automated gates, and mobile self-service for carriers on a fiber-optic backbone. The automation program reports an 89% productivity gain, 60% reduction in operator intervention, and cargo exit time reduced from 45 to 5 minutes per vehicle. Renewable energy is supplied via a 288-panel solar PV system installed under a Power Purchase Agreement with CELSIA (August 2021), delivering 22% energy savings and 30% renewable mix. An Eco-Industrial Park (PEI) transformation is in progress with ONUDI Colombia to support industrial symbiosis and shared-resource efficiency.

Distribution is 100% direct under a private commercialization model with no external channel partners. GTM is sales-led and enterprise-focused: appointment-based selling, 30-60 day qualification cycles, quote-based pricing (not publicly disclosed), and tenant targeting concentrated on multinational manufacturers, logistics operators, and exporters. Geographic positioning is a primary asset: 25 km from Port of Barranquilla, 113 km from Port of Cartagena, 26.1 km from Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport, with 4-day maritime transit to the U.S. East Coast, access to 11 shipping lines and 23 maritime routes, and targeted reach into U.S., Panama, European, Central American, and Caribbean export markets. A public-sector ecosystem (Alcaldía de Barranquilla, Pro Barranquilla, ANDI, SENA, DIAN) supports nearshoring lead generation and tenant onboarding, evidenced by the May 2023 wins of Stani Recycling (Finland), Fruselva International (Spain), H.R.H. Company (USA), and Metaltonica (USA).

Name

Zona Franca La Cayena

Legal name

ZONA FRANCA DEL CARIBE S.A.S. U.O.Z.F.

Website

https://zonafrancalacayena.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Zona Franca La Cayena is a privately operated Colombian industrial free-trade zone in Barranquilla that sells and leases serviced lots and warehouses and provides user-operator services to multinational manufacturers, logistics operators, and export-oriented businesses seeking preferential tax and customs treatment with proximity to U.S. and Caribbean markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Free Trade Zone Real Estate

NAICS

Port and Harbor Operations (48831)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Port Operations, Stevedoring & Terminal Management (EDAOANAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Stevedoring & Vessel Loading/Discharging (Ship-to-Shore Operations) (TLAHALAA), Ferry & Port Duty-Free Alcohol & Tobacco Retail (CRANAIAD)

Keywords

• Industrial real estate
• Free trade zones
• Bonded warehousing
• Industrial logistics parks
• Customs operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Barranquilla

HQ country

Colombia

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Sale of developed lots: One-time sale of urbanized industrial lots starting from approximately 2,700 m² (e.g., Lote 34 — 8,847.07 m²; Lote C2 — 3,347.3 m²; Lote 11B — 32,584 m²; Lote 10 — 43,792.67 m²; Lote 16.1 — 145,386.34 m²; Lote 16.2.4 — 30,434 m²; Lote 29 — 8,606.05 m²).
2. Sale and lease of warehouses: Sale and rental ('Arriendo') of industrial warehouses starting from 500 m² (e.g., Bodega 28-2 CPP — 632 m², leased; Lote 28-2 — 950 m² at 84% occupancy). Warehouses include offices, depressed loading docks, voice/data networks, 110v/220v power, and dedicated KVA capacity.
3. Free-zone operator service fees and value-added services: As authorized Usuario Operador, ZOFRACAR charges for customs administration, qualification support, and ongoing compliance services; supported by a 100% private commercialization model across all in-park real estate.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Zona Franca La Cayena operates a permanent free trade zone in Barranquilla (Tubará), Atlántico, Colombia, developing, selling and leasing serviced industrial lots (from ~2,700 m²) and industrial warehouses (sale and lease, from 500 m²) to qualified industrial users. As an authorized Usuario Operador under Colombia's free-trade regime (DIAN Resolution 12560 of 2007, extended 30 years in 2020–2021), it provides customs administration, qualification support and value-added services to manufacturers, logistics operators and multinational tenants engaged in import-export activities, supported by industrial-grade utilities (34.5 kV power, 6-inch hydraulic networks, fiber-optic connectivity), on-site solar generation, and the Cayena + Eficiente automation platform for transport management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cayena Triple Impacto: Company-wide sustainability framework with three dimensions: Crecimiento y Competitividad Sostenible, Talento y Comunidad en Acción, and Transformación Verde y Ecoeficiencia, aligned to the UN SDGs.
• Cayena + Eficiente
• Cayena Verde
• Cayena + Social

Products and services

• Serviced Industrial Lots (Lotes urbanizados) Serviced industrial lots from 2,700 m² delivered at natural ground level with full public utilities, including 6-inch high-pressure PVC hydraulic networks (10 L/s), stormwater sewer, domestic wastewater treatment, rainwater collectors and buffer lakes, underground 34.5 kV high-voltage grid, gas regulating substation, 36-wire fiber-optic internet and 24/7 security. Sold to qualified industrial users for manufacturing, logistics and export operations under Colombia's free-trade regime.
• Industrial Warehouses (Bodegas — sale and lease) Industrial warehouses from 500 m² available for sale or lease ('Arriendo') to qualified industrial users. Warehouses include offices, depressed loading docks, voice/data networks, 110v/220v power and dedicated KVA capacity, suited to manufacturing, logistics and distribution activities operating under the free-trade regime.
• Free-Zone Operator Services (Usuario Operador — customs administration and value-added services) As authorized Usuario Operador of the permanent free trade zone, ZOFRACAR charges service fees for customs administration, qualification support for industrial users, and ongoing compliance services — including support to access the preferential 20% income-tax rate, VAT/customs-duty exemptions, ICA/property-tax exemptions for 10 years, and simplified customs procedures under the Colombian free-trade regime.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20% income-tax rate (vs. 35% nationally) for qualifying industrial users
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• CELSIAflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2021Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) under which CELSIA invests in, installs, operates and maintains a 288-panel photovoltaic system at Zona Franca La Cayena. The project launched in August 2021 and delivers 22% energy savings, an 81,097 kg/year CO2 reduction, and contributes to a renewable-energy mix of approximately 30% of total park consumption.
• ONUDI Colombia (UNIDO)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic collaboration to transform Zona Franca La Cayena into an Eco-Industrial Park (PEI), implementing industrial symbiosis, optimizing resource use, and fostering sustainable productive linkages.
• Fundación La CayenacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRelated social foundation that implements Zona Franca La Cayena's community programs — academic development, social outreach, and the SENA seminar on the Free-Trade Regime — and publishes the 'Cayena + Social' magazine highlighting tenant contributions.
• SENA (Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTraining partnership through which Zona Franca La Cayena and Fundación La Cayena delivered a 20-hour seminar on the Free-Trade Regime (legal/operational aspects, control systems, park operations) to 40+ apprentices and instructors from SENA's Logistics and Transportation NODO in Caribe Verde.
• Alcaldía de BarranquillacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPublic-sector partner for attracting nearshoring investment and promoting Barranquilla as a destination for foreign companies; collaborates with the park on tenant onboarding and promotion.
• Pro BarranquillacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerInvestment-promotion agency collaborating on attracting foreign direct investment into the park and the city.
• ANDI (Asociación Nacional de Empresarios de Colombia)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerNational business association that organized the 6th Integrated Congress of Logistics, Free Trade Zones and Ports 'Transición exportadora' at the Hotel Marriott in Barranquilla on 18–19 May 2023, with the park as a participating organization.
• DIAN (Dirección de Impuestos y Aduanas Nacionales)coreOthersColombian tax and customs authority that grants and extends the free-trade-zone declaration (Resolution 12560 of 2007; 30-year extension 2020–2021), supervises operations, and provides training/capacity-building for users (e.g., the Ley de Financiamiento workshops in October).
• Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo (MINCIT)coreOthersGovernment ministry that approves the Internationalization Plan and Annual Sales Plan for industrial FTZ users, a requirement introduced by Decree 0047 of 30 January 2024 to access the preferential 20% income-tax rate.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Zona Franca Bogotá: Bogota-based permanent free-trade zone operator offering industrial lots and warehouses to manufacturing and logistics tenants under the same Colombian FTZ regime. Competes for the same domestic and multinational tenants, but with inland (Andean) positioning versus La Cayena's coastal export focus.
• Zona Franca del Pacífico:
• Zona Franca Cartagena (ZF Cartagena): Authorized permanent free-trade zone operator in Cartagena, Colombia, located near the Port of Cartagena—only 113 km from Zona Franca La Cayena. Directly competes for nearshoring tenants and export-manufacturing users along the Colombian Caribbean coast, with overlapping tax-regime benefits and port-adjacent positioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/LaCayenaZF
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zona-franca-la-cayena
• Instagraminstagram.com/zflacayena
• Xx.com/zfrancacayena

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zona Franca La Cayena