UPS invests $200m to expand its European air hub
UPS has announced plans to expand its European air hub facilities at Cologne/Bonn Airport in Germany. The $200m project marks the largest investment made by the company in a facility upgrade outside the US in the company’s history.
It is expected to be completed by the end of 2013.
As well as a “major” extension to the building itself, UPS said it will invest in state-of-the-art technology to significantly boost the hub’s package sorting capacity from 110,000 to 190,000 packages per hour.
It will keep the Cologne/Bonn hub as “one of the most advanced sorting facilities in the world, the firm said.
Jim Barber, the UPS Europe president, said the Cologne hub had served the company well for 25 years, linking customers within Europe to the Americas and Asia.
With annual growth rates of more than 10% in exports over the past decade, the new investment showed long-term confidence in the European economy, he added.
“This announcement is good news for UPS customers in Europe and all over the world,” said Barber. “Increased capacity and efficiency at our Cologne/Bonn facility will ensure they continue to enjoy the highest possible levels of service in today’s highly competitive, fast-moving global economy.”
Already the largest employer at Cologne/Bonn Airport, UPS is planning to add 200 new jobs to its existing roster of 2,300 employees at the hub.
