GLS invests in new hub facility for Italy
European parcel delivery company GLS has invested in a new hub facility in Milan, Italy, from where its Italian subsidiary will be based. Royal Mail’s international parcel subsidiary said today it is moving its GLS Italy headquarters to the new 12,000 square metre site at San Giuliano Milanese, southeast of Milan.
The new facility includes fully automatic sorting systems and will have around 200 employees from various business units based there, bringing together domestic and international operations.
It is located strategically close to Milan itself and the motorway system.
Operations were moved over to the site in August, with the hub now fully up and running.
GLS Italy, which describes itself as Italy’s second largest express delivery company, will be moving its headquarters to the site in January 2013.
Klaus Schädel, the chief executive of GLS Italy, said: “We have decided, despite the current economic problems in Italy, to take this step because we are continuing to grow and are optimistic about the future.”
Schädel said customers would benefit from the company uniting its various business activities at the Milan site.
More space, more automation
The new hub facility on Via Basento boasts 60 docking bays for long-haul trucks, and 13,500 square feet of space for parking and maneuvering. GLS Italy said its sorting systems for domestic and international packages could handle 8,000 items each hour.
The facility is set up with the sorting system’s conveyors about three metres off the ground, to allow space at ground level for the handling of large packages and pallets.
The site has 4,000 square metres of office space.
GLS Italy said its new hub includes a designated customs warehouse with specially trained staff to provide clearance services for international goods on site.
“Our customers will benefit from exporting their shipments through the dense GLS European network, they can rely on our promise of quality internationally,” said Schädel.
The GLS European network is headquartered in Amsterdam, and transports around 375m packages across 42 European countries, through 37 central transshipment points and 660 depots.
The company has 13,400 employees Europe-wide, 16,510 vehicles and turned over around EUR 1.81bn in the 2011-12 financial year.
