DHL to add 600 jobs in Broward County, Florida
Global delivery giant DHL plans to add 600 jobs over the next three years at its Americas headquarters in Plantation, executives said Thursday at a ceremony attended by Gov. Jeb Bush and Broward County leaders.
The expansion comes as DHL takes on domestic market leaders UPS Inc. and FedEx Corp. in the United States, unveiling plans in June to invest $1.2 billion in North American operations. DHL also began a six-month, $150 million marketing campaign in June to build its brand name among Americans.
DHL began its aggressive U.S. push last year by acquiring Seattle-based Airborne Inc. for $1 billion to build on that company’s U.S. network. It then opted to consolidate the headquarters of its own Latin American division and its Airborne unit in Plantation, after a search that also included sites in Washington state, Texas and Arizona.
John Fellows, DHL Americas’ chief executive officer, said the 600 jobs to be added in Plantation will boost staffing at the Americas headquarters to about 1,250. That will increase DHL’s total South Florida employment to more than 2,000, including independent contractors.
About 40 percent of the 600 new jobs are to be filled by relocating Airborne or DHL staff, with the rest to be new hires. The average salary for the new positions, mainly managers, will be about $54,000 a year, the company said.
DHL has applied for state and local incentives for the Plantation expansion that total $2.4 million, or $4,000 per job.
That compares with DHL’s roughly $160 million-a-year economic impact in Florida today, including its 16 service centers, outlays to independent contractors and taxes, the company said.
South Florida business leaders have welcomed DHL’s expansion and growing links with the community. The company has partnered, for example, with the Miami Dolphins and Pro Player Stadium with signs inside and outside the stadium, among its many marketing and outreach programs.
Even so, it’s an uphill battle for the relative latecomer to carve out a major share of the estimated $60-billion-a-year U.S. delivery and logistics market.
DHL’s parent company, Germany’s postal service Deutsche Post, said in September that losses at its Americas unit could top $600 million, about $250 million more than initially expected. The unit is not expected to break even before 2006, the company has said.
DHL Americas currently leases space for its headquarters in Plantation. The company said Thursday it plans to wait 12-18 months before considering buying land to build a new facility or other real estate options.
