Gold Cup Fresh, the first company to move cold-treated citrus via the Port of Savannah in 2015, has added lemons from Argentina to the list of fruits it moves through Georgia’s deepwater container port.
Edward Villar, who oversees logistics for Andean Sun Produce LLC – doing business as Gold Cup Fresh – said moving cargo through Savannah has helped the company become more efficient.
“It has helped us to reduce the delivery times of our products to our customers and consumers in comparison with other ports, due to speed at which Garden City Terminal releases loads to us, as well as the number of shipping lines that are reaching the Port of Savannah,” Villar said, adding that, as growers of citrus, grapes and blueberries from the Southern Hemisphere, “Our goal is to deliver our fruit to our clients – faster, fresher, and at competitive prices, cutting logistics costs.”
The company expects to move 100 forty-foot containers of lemons into the U.S. Southeast during this year’s citrus season via Garden City Terminal. Gold Cup Fresh produce crossing Savannah’s docks will serve markets in North and South Carolina, Florida, Georgia and parts of Texas and Pennsylvania.
“Serving Southeastern markets for fresh produce through Savannah reduces the time from farm to table by up to a week,” said Georgia Ports Authority Chief Commercial Officer Cliff Pyron. “For consumers, that means fresher produce, while shorter overland routes allow cargo owners to save money on transportation.”
The company’s first lemon shipment arrived May 14 on the MSC vessel Angela.
Gold Cup Fresh has partnered with PortFresh/Americold to handle cold storage for the import fruits.
Brian Kastick, director of produce business development at Americold Logistics, said customers who serve the Southeast via Savannah can reduce transit costs by $1,700 per truck. The shorter transit to markets such as Atlanta, Charlotte and Memphis also saves fuel and reduces emissions.
