Freighter begins Philly-to-Puerto Rico runs
A NEW FREIGHTER started making weekly calls to the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal on April 11, towing along hundreds of new jobs.
Port operator Holt Logistics estimates that Horizon Lines' new
Philly-to-Puerto Rico runs will bring 340 full-time jobs to the facility
- a 10 percent boost - and drop off a couple hundred extra to nearby
businesses."Horizon will expand opportunities for Pennsylvania businesses throughout the Caribbean region," Gov. Corbett said in a news release welcoming the freighter to Philadelphia on Thursday.
"The arrival of Horizon demonstrates the progress we can make when the public and private sector work together for the good of our port and our region."
The port-carrier agreement calls for weekly runs carrying a variety of foods, chemicals and medicines over the next 10 years. Holt Logistics President Leo Holt said he predicts sustained growth in both jobs and revenue over that time.
"These are bread-and-butter, very stable commodities," he said Thursday. "It plays right into Philadelphia's strong suit as a handler of food products and perishable goods."
Horizon moved its operations to Philly from northern New Jersey.
Switzerland-based Mediterranean Shipping was the last big-ticket group to begin operations from Packer, committing 52 ships a year in 2009.
