Holt, Philadelphia-area stevedore, dead at 74
Thomas J. Holt Sr., whose family-owned companies dominate the marine terminal business in Philadelphia and across the river in New Jersey, died last week at the age of 74.
He and his family — sons Thomas, Leo and Michael are all in the business — operate the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal, Philadelphia’s major marine terminal, along with Greenwich Terminals, and Delaware Avenue Enterprises.
On the other side of the Delaware River in Gloucester City, N.J., the Holts operate Gloucester Terminals, a sprawling complex that includes 25 dry and reefer warehouses with more than 15 million cubic feet of storage space. Earlier this month, the company announced plans to build a nine megawatt solar power plant atop the Gloucester Terminal, what it said would be the largest rooftop solar plant in the country.
The Philadelphia Inquirer said that Holt entered the business in 1967. While the growth of his companies was spectacular, the Holts suffered a setback in 1997 when Holt Cargo Systems purchased Navieras de Puerto Rico, a containership line that operated between the mainland and the island commonwealth. That company eventually ran into financial difficulties and after filing for protection under Chapter 11, was eventually liquidated in 2002.
While the Packer Avenue Terminal is a major employer of members of the International Longshoremen’s Union, the Gloucester Terminals also employ members of International Dockworkers Union, Teamsters and International Association of Machinists. When Delmonte Fresh Produce last year moved its business to Gloucester from a terminal in Camden, N.J., the company became a target of protest by the ILA.
