Summer Citrus from South Africa (SCSA) celebrates its 25th consecutive year shipping citrus from South Africa to the U.S. The SCSA group has grown more than 2.5x over in the past few years, shipping a sustained +/- 100,000 pallets to the U.S., with sustained growth planned for the next three to five years.
In 1999, Summer Citrus from South Africa entered the U.S. market for the first time with just a few pallets of citrus during a time when the imported citrus category was not yet established. Over the years, the category was slowly built, with the product being distributed to a select group of importers. Since then, South Africa has become a key supplier of citrus to U.S. consumers during the summer months.
“From the very beginning to now, long-term relationships have formed the backbone of this business and have contributed to the sustained growth and longevity of the program,” said Suhanra Conradie, CEO. “The Holt family and their staff have formed an enormous part of this sustained growth and have been a partner for us to count on. It has not been easy, but the challenges have made us stronger and allowed us not only to build demand in the U.S. but also allowed us to utilize our opportunities collectively and expand our footprint in the U.S. market even further.”
In the early years, it was the dedicated conventional vessels that were being shipped to the port of Philadelphia. Through sustained growth, SCSA was given the opportunity to engage with the shipping giants of the world. It now splits its volumes 50/50 between conventional vessels and containers and ships to both sides of the Delaware River.
“A quarter century is a remarkable milestone in any commodities-based business and we are extremely proud to partner with our longtime friends in South Africa,” said Leo Holt, president and CEO of Holt Logistics, operator of Gloucester Terminals, LLC. “Building a diverse supply chain ensures food security and access to nutritious fresh food products here in our local markets and beyond. We are thankful to all of our partners who prioritize the safe and efficient movement of cargo through our ports.”
“We would like to show our appreciation to the Holt family and their teams,” said Conradie. “Thank you for taking on this journey with us and your continued support. Look where we are today, 25 seasons and still growing and going strong! We wish everyone a successful and prosperous season. We have gained a lot of momentum with our collaborative approach and intend to keep it going.”
