Bermuda carrier relocating to Philadelphia

   Holt Logistics Corp. said Tuesday that Bermuda Container Line (BCL) will move its U.S. port of call from Elizabeth, N.J., to Holt’s Packer Avenue Marine Terminal in Philadelphia in the first quarter of next year.
   BCL offers weekly service between the U.S. and Bermuda, and has been in operation since 1979. Its ship, Oleander, is a combination container and roll-on/roll-off vessel capable of carrying 360 TEU as well as 44 cars in an enclosed garage area. The Oleander has electrical plugs that generate enough capacity to allow it to carry 88 refrigerated containers, and hoistable car decks in its interior, which allow it to carry large roll-on/roll-off cargo such as construction equipment.
   John Wight, the chairman of Neptune Group Limited, the owner of BCL, said, “Moving BCL’s departure point south to the Holt Terminal in Philadelphia required careful due diligence and engagement with stakeholders. We plan a smooth transition and look forward to elevating customer service levels and business opportunities for our customers.”
   The Royal Gazette newspaper in Bermuda reported last month that Barry Brewer is to become president and chief executive officer of Neptune Group, a firm his father helped establish in the 1980s.
   Wight was quoted in the same story as saying, “The continued sluggish Bermuda economy and declining cargo volumes require that we are well connected with our customers and responsive to their needs, and that we continue to bring new energy and ideas.
   Brewer told the Gazette that “it is critical that shipping services to Bermuda be controlled by the importers for the benefit of the importers. This was why the company was first started by my father and other progressive associates, importers and investors. Over the years, I tried to stay connected with BCL’s customers and investors, and I am looking forward to helping reinvigorate the profitability of the company and delivering additional customer engagement and value.”
   The Gazette said Neptune also has a 50-percent stake in Somers Isles Shipping, a biweekly service between Fernandina Beach, Fla., and Bermuda.
   In April, Horizon Lines relocated the port of call for its service between Puerto Rico and the Northeast U.S. from Elizabeth to Philadelphia.