GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ — Holt Logistics Corp. is deeply involved in maritime services along the Delaware River. Holt’s primary focus is serving international produce exporters. With more than 27 million cubic feet of refrigerated storage and 1.3 million square feet of dry space the firm provides corporate service to marine terminal and logistics center operators.

Tom Holt Sr. pioneered the river’s evolution as a destination for produce. Today his sons — Tom Jr., Leo and Michael — are at the helm. Leading the logistics arm is Leo Holt, president. The Holt family owns the Gloucester Marine Terminal in Gloucester City, NJ. Their container terminal affiliate, Greenwich Terminals LLC, manages the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal, which is a major container facility in Philadelphia. A year ago, the family entered into a private public partnership with the South Jersey Port Corp. to construct a new port facility in Paulsboro, NJ.

The Gloucester Marine Terminal moves refrigerated break bulk cargo in its cavernous dockside warehouse. The Gloucester Terminal also handles shipper-specific containerized fruit.

Del Monte Fresh Produce, which brings in fruit year-round, calls the Gloucester Terminal its home for tropical and non-tropical fruit programs, arriving on specialized refrigerated vessels from Central America and South America.

In servicing Del Monte, “We had another good melon season this year. Del Monte’s brisk tempo provides two vessels, 52 times weeks per year,” said Eric Holt, who is in business development for the company.

As to the Paulsboro Marine Terminal, Leo Holt said, “We are working with the SJPC to develop the operation for them.” This is a 190-acre facility with a 3,000-foot, deep-water dock and 21,000 lineal feet of rail track. “It’s a classic brownfields site that was a shuttered and vacant refinery. Thanks to the late Joe Balzano of the SJPC and the leadership of the New Jersey Senate President Stephen Sweeney and Governor Chris Christie, this is taking shape as a world-class terminal operation.”

There is an initial $175 million to develop Paulsboro, with another $400 million investment later. Pier construction is in full swing and the first phase will be online in February 2016. The Paulsboro port is built for food warehousing. Beyond that, Leo Holt said, “The market will determine if it is refrigerated or dry. At the end, customers are the king and will determine the needs and style of operation.”

At Packer Avenue “organic growth has really created opportunities to modernize the system at the terminal,” he said.

In the last year, the Holts have invested $10 million to install a new security gate and new state-of-the-art weigh-in-motion scales, and cameras with OCR — optical character recognition. “It is very exciting technology that is used in a lot of places in the world,” he said.

Leo Holt credits Pennsylvania Governor Thomas Wolf for “being interested in improvements in infrastructure” in the state. The governor, who was inaugurated in January, also brought “new leadership to many agencies,” which has proven to be positive for business.