New facilities in Bloomington MN and Columbus OH are but the latest examples of DHL’s continuing efforts to build its U.S. freight and logistics network.
Plantation, FL-based DHL said its new $7.8-million, 79,049-sq-ft regional sort center in Bloomington will support its air and ground network within the Midwest region – providing one-day ground service for letters and parcels across Minnesota and into parts of Wisconsin, Iowa, and North and South Dakota.
DHL’s new $2.1-million, 54,000-sq-ft service center in Columbus will provide a critical transit point for shipments heading to the express carrier’s principal air and ground hub in Wilmington, OH – one hour by road from Columbus.
The new Columbus facility allows individual letters and packages to flow directly onto and off of vehicles from a conveyor belt system – a “loose-load” operation that enables greater operational efficiencies, leading to quicker loading and unloading of freight, increased capacity on linehaul vehicles, earlier deliveries and expanded pickup cutoff times for customers in the area, said John Cameron, DHL executive vp-- operations.
He noted that these additional centers are part of DHL’s $1.2-billion build-out of its U.S. domestic network and infrastructure, including an expanded primary air and ground hub in Wilmington, seven new regional sort centers, and new distribution facilities for the east and west coasts in Allentown, PA, and Riverside, CA.
