“As a family business, the Delaware Port has been our home for almost three generations, handling customs brokerage in Philadelphia and the surrounding area, which includes all the maritime ports in the Northeast,” Ercolani said. “It’s something we have been very close to and watched the business really expand and blossom around the domestic market and international market.”
The Delaware Port, he said, is probably the largest point of entry for stone fruit, grapes, peaches, and all the big banana nationals that arrive weekly.
“We have our own approach as a customs provider,” Ercolani said. “It’s critically important to still have for us as a service, boots on the ground and have people in the ports of entry when the fruit actually arrives. That couldn’t be any more important.”
J&K’s process requires pertinent and current knowledge of CBP Border Security, Customs Entry, Agriculture Quarantine, Food & Drug including Bioterrorism and Food Safety; and coordination with the inspection facilities and logistic providers.
By specializing in one area of trade, it allows the entire team to focus on the ever-changing requirements and regulations affecting produce.
“We have boots on the ground and subject matter experts in every port in which perishables arrive,” Ercolani said.
In 2024, things have bounced back a bit from somewhat lagging business the year prior, which was still feeling the impact of the COVID pandemic.
“There’s certainly more volume and higher expectation,” Ercolani said. “2024 seems to back in the normal trajectory of arriving.”
In fact, as of mid-June, there were already two conventional bulk citrus vessels arrival from South Africa and more were due soon.
“Things have been moving very well,” Ercolani said. “It seems as if the market is good and the movement is good. Things are strong right now.”
J&K continues to bolster and bulk its team both in the Northeast and Southeast operations, with Tony Fernandez leading things for the latter in Miami and Savannah, GA, where things are expanding.
“We know the importance of understanding the idiosyncrasies of every port,” Ercolani said. “Having the government relationships, having the terminal knowhow and having good relationships with the ocean carriers to get things done is critically important.”
One of the biggest challenges today for the company deals with the increased capacity in the market in terms of getting the product to port.
“There’s a lot of different ocean carriers that are servicing certain trade lanes from Central and South America in particular,” Ercolani said. “There’s some new players in the market, so making sure they all understand the sense of urgency that the fruit needs to move is critically important and can be a challenge.”
