DHL has completed consolidation of hub operations to a $300m air and ground facility in Wilmington, Ohio. The renovated DHL Air Park is the company's principal air and ground hub in the U.S. There are about 6,600 employees at the facility, and another 900 jobs are expected to be created.
"Operations at the DHL Air Park in Wilmington are integral to DHL in providing and setting a new standard in shipping and logistics services, and are part of our commitment to create an unparalleled customer experience. DHL expects to offer customers enhanced service by operating out of this new facility as well as benefiting from cost improvements, efficiency in air routes and opportunities for growth," says Fred Beljaars, executive vice president, operations, DHL Americas. "This investment will capitalize on improved package processing capabilities and provide superior network connectivity system-wide."
DHL operations at the Greater Cincinnati/ Northern Kentucky International Airport will be maintained as a back-up as needed.
DHL says the 24/7 Air Park will have a package sort capacity of 708,000 pieces per night, up from 637,000 pieces per night, and the ability to provide direct service to 31 DHL stations throughout the Midwest region.
In other action, the company also has broken ground on a 350,000-square-foot, fully automated facility in Breinigsville, Pa., in Lehigh County. The total cost of the project will be at least $42m.