Express operators continue investment in Mexico
DHL, UPS, FedEx and Estafeta continue to invest in the Mexican market despite signs of slowing growth due to lower demand from the USA.
DHL Express officials told Mexican media that despite the pullout from the US domestic market, the company had no plans to scale back its long-term $120 million investment programme in the country. DHL Mexico has a five-year plan to invest heavily in new hubs, gateways, domestic flights, the ground fleet and new IT systems.
Recent measures include the opening of an enlarged facility at Mexico City International Airport that is now able to handle some 12.9 million shipments a year. The operator has also invested $8.2 million (€5.6 million) on 264 diesel vehicles from Volkswagen, comprising 40 Eurovans, 56 VW Vans and 168 Crafter vehicles.DHL runs four transfer hubs in Mexico, two in the capital region, one in Guadalajara and the other in Monterrey, and has a network of 57 depots.
Meanwhile, Griselda Hernandez, Head of UPS Mexico, told the newspaper that the US company expected to continue growing at double-digit rates next year and had no plans for any cutbacks. UPS, with 54 operational centres, has nearly 2,000 staff in Mexico.
In October, rival FedEx moved into the domestic Mexican market with the launch of nationwide next-business-day deliveries. The domestic unit FedEx Express Nacional is operating out of a 3,780 sqm hub at Toluca in central Mexico and also using facilities in Guadalajara and Monterrey. It is due to open a second hub at San Luis Potosi next year.
Separately, Mexican company Estafeta said it has spent 14.5 million pesos (€0.8 million) on 20 new Freightliner MT45 vans for city deliveries. The privately-owned company is the midst of a $30 million (€19 million) investment programme in its air network and infrastructure this year, including a runway extension at its San Luis Potosí hub, and the addition of two Bombardier CRJ jets with capacity of five tonnes to its fleet of five B737 cargo planes.
