DHL Express has opened its new international hub at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport. DHL invested EUR 170 million into the new location, ten times larger than the previous site. It is DHL Express’ largest investment in Europe in recent years and the biggest ever in France since its arrival in 1976. The facility will strengthen DHL’s foothold in France, having also invested EUR 80 million in its French infrastructures over the last six years. With a solid network and next-generation infrastructure, DHL has all the tools to support and plan ahead for the increase in global trade by shortening delivery times, enhancing parcel tracking and security, and further improving the employees’ working conditions.
John Pearson, CEO of DHL Express, explained: “The DHL Express hub at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport will play a key role in our international network. This is the fourth-largest hub in our European network in terms of size and parcel processing volume, after Leipzig, East Midlands and Brussels. It is one of our 23 hubs around the world, 12 of which are in Europe. The new facility is another step towards fulling our mission: Connecting people, Improving lives. Our role was decisive during the Covid-19 crisis. Even at the height of the pandemic, we managed to maintain the link between countries to ensure global trade. Our agility, supported by the strength of our global network and the commitment of our teams, have enabled us to deliver more than one billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines to more than 160 countries. With ultramodern infrastructures fitted at Paris-Charles de Gaulle and our presence in 220 countries around the world, we have all the tools needed to meet the new challenges of an increasingly connected world.”
Both in France and the rest of the world, the growth in parcel shipments linked to e-commerce has considerably accelerated due to Covid-19 and is continuing at a very sustained pace in 2021. In 2020, e-commerce enabled DHL Express France to grow its volume by about eight percent compared to 2019. With the recovery of trade for its long-standing B2B customers, activity at DHL Express is intensifying in 2021.
Extraordinary processing capacities and 239 jobs created
The new facility’s ultramodern sorting system alone represents a EUR 45 million investment. Its processing capacity is 38,000 pieces (parcels and flyers) per hour, 15 times more than the previous facility. Nearly 720 employees, including almost 239 new recruits, will be running the 32,000 m2 centre around the clock. For customers in the Paris region, this new Paris-Charles de Gaulle location already means a substantial one-hour time-saving on their deliveries and pick-ups.
The hub is located in a 91,000 m2 space, the equivalent of 13 football fields. The construction work, which began in March 2020, took 20 months. Now up and running, the location is sized to absorb the growth of the next ten years, with an option for further expansion.
Philippe Prétat, CEO of DHL Express France, added: “The hub is a nerve centre for our network in France, but also in Europe. This new location comes at the right time, as e-commerce is booming. The trend was already underway but has accelerated with the Covid-19 pandemic and looks set to continue. We are here to support this unprecedented growth. I am proud that the 3,350 DHL Express employees in France can count on next-generation infrastructure, which is up to the challenges. DHL Express will support all those who want to trade under the best conditions with the rest of the world. The consolidation of our network will benefit our long-standing business as well as individual customers.”
A smaller carbon footprint
The DHL Express hub at Paris-Charles de Gaulle will meet strict environmental criteria, including LED lighting with motion detectors, a sorting system with IE4 high-efficiency motors, energy-efficient air conditioning. The site aligns with the zero-emission target for 2050 set by Deutsche Post DHL Group. DHL Express France, which also has an intermediate objective of carrying out 70% of its pick-ups and deliveries using green transport by 2025, is multiplying initiatives in this direction. The company has more than 100 clean vehicles and delivers more than 50 city centres with zero-emission solutions. It is also developing many innovative solutions, such as on-demand deliveries, collaborative deliveries by bike or on foot, consignments and Relais Colis service points.
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