UPS has officially opened its new £120m (US$161m) package sorting and delivery facility near London, UK.
The hub is one of UPS’s largest single infrastructure investments outside of the USA in the company’s history.
Located at the DP World London Gateway Logistics Park near Southend-on-Sea, the 32,000m² (344,445ft²) building will act as a UK package processing hub and distribution center for the local area, and a gateway to UPS’s global logistics network, with capacity to process up to 28,000 packages per hour and room for further expansion.
More than 500 employees will operate out of the new operations hub, which spans the space of approximately five soccer pitches. With over four miles of conveyor belts, the facility features advanced package scanning and sortation equipment that increase the flexibility to efficiently route packages to their final destinations.
Business and residential customers will benefit from enhanced speed and accuracy as UPS meets their growing global shipping demands.
Mark Vale, president for UPS UK, Ireland and Nordics, said, “This state-of-the-art facility enables us to further improve our services to companies of all sizes that are looking to grow their cross-border business.
“With strong growth in our export volume in the UK, which increased nearly 20% in 2017 and more than 15% in the first quarter of 2018, we are optimistic about the future. This key investment is tangible proof of UPS’s commitment to helping customers doing business in and with the UK.”
The new London hub is part of a US$2bn infrastructure and network investment program by UPS across Europe to add capacity and provide faster services across the region.
Lou Rivieccio, president at UPS Europe, added, “E-commerce growth, cross-border trade expansion, and unique customer needs are accelerating demand for UPS’s services.
“This strategic investment in capacity and cutting-edge technologies in the UK is helping advance UPS’s smart global logistics network of the future.”