UPS opens logistic centre for London Olympics

UPS has officially opened its logistic centre for the London 2012 Olympic Games. Described as an “important milestone in the build-up to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games”, the warehouse and distribution facility, based in Stevenage, covers a total area of 331,000 square feet.

It will “house a vast array of sporting goods and event equipment before they are transported to the respective London 2012 Games host venues, including the Olympic Stadium, the Velodrome and other venues outside the capital,” UPS said.

In the lead-up to, and during the Games, the operator will deliver around 30m items, including one million pieces of sporting equipment.

To assist the team in Stevenage, UPS said a second facility in Tilbury will be opening in the next couple of months.

Commenting on the news, Ben Ainslie, triple Olympic gold medallist and London 2012 sailing hopeful, praised the hard work being done to ensure every item of Games equipment is delivered on time to the right venue.

“With an event like sailing, there is so much equipment that needs to be transported to off-site venues like The Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy – from the boats, to the sails to even something as small as a bracket – so the planning that goes into making sure everything is ready and accounted for by competition time is quite incredible,” he said.

In addition, Alan Williams, director, London 2012 sponsorship & operations, said: “Between now and the opening ceremony on 27 July 2012, UPS’s Stevenage facility will store millions of items of inventory that are required to make the Games run smoothly.

“With so many time-sensitive items needing to be transported in and out of the venues in a short time period, a vast amount of expertise is required to ensure the process is efficient and effective from start to finish.”

UPS is responsible for virtually all the distribution and logistics services for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games via an integrated supply chain solution that includes venue logistics services, warehousing services and a distribution network that will collect and deliver everything from documents to heavy freight.

The company will also be responsible for all customs clearance, freight forwarding and courier services before, during and after the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.