PHILADELPHIA, PA - The Tioga Marine Fruit Terminal, managed by Delaware River Stevedores, got a facelift last fall with upgrades to its cold storage facilities, new mechanical systems and a new roof at its riverside warehouse. More recently, the lighting and sprinkler systems were upgraded and now a new security fence-line and gate complex are under construction.

Robert PalaimaDetails like that make a big difference in the level of service a terminal can provide, according to DRS President Robert Palaima. “You don’t think much about it, but those things are important and are of great benefit to us and ultimately our customers. You’re dealing with a trade that comes quickly, markets change rapidly, prices change rapidly and we try to respond to the needs and demands of our customers because ultimately they’re the ones we serve.”

The Tioga terminal is not the biggest on the Delaware River, but it offers advantages that other facilities cannot, Mr. Palaima said.

“We don’t have the largest facility but we think what commends it is the fact that we’re so close to the dock,” he explained. “In terms of the cold chain, you have very quick transfer from the vessel into cold storage and the fumigation chambers. We maintain the most stevedoring gangs along the river so during those peak periods during the season you have multiple vessels and adequate labor to be able to get the job done.”

More importantly, the DRS labor force is well-trained in the handling of perishables.

“It’s very important to have labor that’s experienced when you’re handling pallets of fruit,” Mr. Palaima said. “It’s not like handling slabs of steel. The amount of care and understanding as the trade has evolved, the technology, the IT aspects of being able to sort, separate, provide information, bar code systems, delivery documentation, all that has evolved tremendously over the last few decades.”

DRS also manages stevedores for a number of port facilities on the Delaware River aside from Tioga, providing a labor force that works in Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Most people in the region are aware that “I kind of wear two hats,” Mr. Palaima said. In addition to managing DRS business, he serves as president of the Chilean & American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia.

“The Chilean business has been a mainstay in the port for 25 years,” Mr. Palaima said. While trade along the river has “evolved to produce from really around the world — Argentina, Morocco, Spain, South Africa — certainly the mainstay has been the fruit from Chile.”

The Chamber recently hosted an international business networking reception with 280 attendees and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter as keynote speaker.

In June, the Chamber also announced the recipient of its 15th Annual Friend of Chile Award, which will be presented to David Schiro, president of Jac. Vandenberg, Inc. and a pioneer in the importation of fruit from Chile, at a Nov. 15 banquet.