Postal operator Swiss Post has invested CHF11m (US$11.4m) to convert a former industrial warehouse into a regional parcel center in Rümlang in the canton of Zurich, Switzerland.
Now in operation, the center has created approximately 60 new jobs in Rümlang. With the belt conveyors running at full speed, Swiss Post expects to sort around 5,000 parcels an hour. The regional parcel center is intended to enable Swiss Post to get closer to its customers, ensure shorter transport routes and process parcels in a faster, more eco-friendly manner. According to the company, the location near the motorway is ideal in terms of transport connections. Furthermore, the access roads are far from residential areas so the local population is not affected.
Previously, Swiss Post processed parcels from and for the Zurich Unterland region in Frauenfeld and Urdorf, but this will no longer be necessary. With the new center, the mailed parcels from and for the region will be sorted in the region itself. The new center means the company can reduce parcel processing times, avoid long transport distances and, in turn, protect the environment.
To continue to handle the increasing parcel volumes and the expansion of online retail, Swiss Post’s goal is to grow its sorting and delivery infrastructure and enlarge its logistics network by modernizing existing facilities and opening new regional parcel centers, including in Buchs and Pratteln by the beginning of 2023. Plans are underway to open more centers near the conurbations of Basel, Bern and Zurich over the next few years. Swiss Post will also invest around CHF1.5bn (US$1.559bn) in parcel processing by 2030 to double its parcel processing capacity, enabling the operation of at least 15 parcel sorting sites. This investment will create 1,500 full-time jobs.
Carmen Walker Späh, head of the department for economic affairs of the canton of Zurich, said, “The canton of Zurich welcomes this step and sees the investment as a commitment by Swiss Post to the Zurich Unterland area. We’re pleased that Swiss Post is creating new jobs in the region.”
Stefan Nolte, head of logistics services operations at Swiss Post, explained, “Swiss Post is focusing on proximity to its customers and short distances. The parcel center in the Riedmatt industrial district is a stroke of luck for us. The new centers will help us secure Swiss Post’s core business, our position as Switzerland’s leading logistics provider and create new jobs.”