Holt Logistics Committed, Welcomes More International Shipping

The company, which has been a leader in growing business for the local port community, is positioning itself to reap substantial benefits as the capacity to handle larger cargo and ships continues to develop in the Philadelphia region.
The past year was a busy one for Holt, with several initiatives that have implications both at home and abroad.
Capitalizing on a ruling by the US Dept. of Agriculture’s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service allowing for the import of produce and meat products from Uruguay, Holt Logistics worked closely with Uruguayan authorities and was able to procure for Philadelphia the first shipment of Uruguayan citrus to enter the United States. At a ceremony at the Packer Avenue Marine in November 2013, leaders from Holt Logistics and local port officials were joined by dignitaries from the Uruguayan Embassy to the United States and other Uruguayan business interests to announce their partnership and celebrate the arrival of the first container ship to unload Uruguayan citrus.
Several months later, Uruguayan officials again returned to Philadelphia, this time to welcome the return of boneless, frozen Uruguayan lamb meat to the US food market. Business leaders, executives and government officials were on-hand for an informational press conference and luncheon held at the Union League in March 2014. Speakers recognized the hard work of all those involved in the process and showcased the quality product with a tasting of the delicious Uruguayan lamb leg at the conclusion of the ceremony. With the securing of both citrus and meat products, Philadelphia is now one of the primary import locations for Uruguayan food exports, thanks in part to the work of Holt Logistics and the Holt family’s commitment to free trade.
Highlighting their commitment to growing international business, leaders at Holt Logistics have routinely hosted visits from foreign dignitaries to showcase the Port of Philadelphia and surrounding region. Most recently, the Ambassador and a delegation from New Zealand visited the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal to tour the facility and witness first-hand the impacts of the centuries-old international trade partnership with the United States. Today the partnership is being formalized globally into the TPP or Trans Pacific Partnership Trade Agreement. Holt has championed this effort as essential to continuing growth of the US Economy by providing international access to US exports throughout the Pacific Rim, an area opened for future trade due to the ongoing Panama Canal expansion and the Delaware River deepening.
To meet these exciting growth opportunities, Holt Logistics has been continuing efforts to modernize its port facilities, a long tradition of private investment. This led to the completion in December 2013 of a $2 million capital improvement at the Gloucester Marine Terminal in Gloucester City, N.J. The “Box 5” project is a 60,000-square-foot state-of-the-art cold-storage facility located in the Gloucester Terminal. The new facility is equipped with variable temperature controls to handle all varieties of fruit products, and USDA-approved cold-treatment equipment that adheres to the strict standards of import into the United States.
Not to be outdone by any separate player on the River, the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal is also undergoing several facility upgrades to increase efficiency, including a $5 million automated gate project and construction of a state-of-the-art food grade inspection facility. These improvements by Holt Logistics client companies are more cases of private investment meeting the dynamic nature of the fresh produce industry.
The “Box 5” project and other terminal improvements were made with an eye towards the completion of the Delaware River Deepening Project in 2016. The deepening project will allow for larger vessels to make the journey to the Port of Philadelphia, increasing capacity and export capabilities for the larger region. The Corbett Administration’s leadership and stalwart support for the deepening is a major factor in private industry’s putting its own capital to support added improvements to public facilities and represents a real example of the often-used term “public-private partnership”. Progress on the Delaware River comes amidst long-awaited transportation legislation passed by the Pennsylvania assembly, which established a dedicated long-term multimodal” funding stream to support capital-improvement projects along Pennsylvania waterways. Holt Logistics is poised to capitalize on these developments due to its long-standing reputation as a leader in international business growth.
A company’s true strength lies in the strength of its community, and Holt Logistics continues to show a deep commitment to individuals and charities throughout the region. This past summer, Holt Logistics awarded partial scholarships to four Gloucester City high-school seniors to be used for their matriculation to the US Military Academy at West Point and the Naval Academy in Annapolis. Gov. Corbett and the Chilean Agriculture Minister co-hosted the delivery of wonderful Chilean products to Philabundance through Holt’s support for that organization. Showing a strong pledge to employee professional development, union and administrative staff took full advantage of leadership seminars by senior NCOs of the US Marine Corps and celebrated the third year of curriculum from the Camden County Community College.
One of the highlights of the holiday season was the support by the women and men of Holt Logistics Corp and its client companies and customers, who led a toy drive for the US Marine Corps Toys 4 Tots program. A convoy of former military vehicles laden with toys and driven by service members working in the port rolled in style to the USMC receiving center in Bucks Co. just in time for the Christmas holiday. As leaders in the transportation of perishable goods, Holt Logistics understands the importance of participating fully in the communities in which it operates.