Dive Brief:
- DHL Express opened a 100,000-square-foot automated hub at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), according to a July 7 release.
- The $84.5 million facility is equipped to sort up to 20,000 pieces per hour, and features threat detection and security screening technologies, according to the news release.
- The hub currently provides connections between 19 cities, and DHL plans to add flight connections to Hong Kong (HKG), Mexico (GDL, NLU), the UK (EMA) and Puerto Rico (SJU) starting next year, a DHL spokesperson told Supply Chain Dive.
Dive Insight:
DHL aims to improve throughput and transit times with the ATL facility. To help streamline shipment clearance, the company said its new facility employs in-house customs brokers and works with on-site U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel.
DHL’s ATL hub “exemplifies our belief in the power of international trade and recognizes the significance of Atlanta and the Southeast U.S. in the global marketplace,” Mike Parra, CEO of DHL Express Americas, said in a statement.
“By fostering commerce and bridging borders worldwide, this hub not only generates economic growth but also creates job opportunities in Atlanta,” he added.
While the facility has been operating since October 2022, the interior and features like solar panels and other amenities were only finalized this year, the spokesperson said.
The new ATL hub is DHL’s latest addition to a slew of strategic investments intended to meet growing demand. The logistics company recently doubled its e-commerce footprint in Orlando, Florida, moving to a larger 129,000-square-foot warehouse. Earlier in June, DHL eCommerce Solutions moved its facility from St. Louis to Kansas City, Missouri, to process more volume and meet demand.
The company has also invested in automated capabilities at its warehouse to boost order fulfillment volumes and control costs. Last year, DHL Supply Chain expanded its automated fulfillment partnership with Locus Robotics at its Ohio warehouses. Under the agreement, Locus would deploy autonomous mobile robots to support high-volume order fulfillment for one of DHL’s retail customers.
