FedEx shifts ground in New Hampshire
FedEx Ground looks to stave off labor-focused legal challenges to a company business model based on independent contractors.
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FedEx Ground selects site for New Portland area distribution hub
FedEx Ground has chosen a 77-acre site in Troutdale to build a distribution hub that will be double the size of the existing operation in Portland, Oregon. A formal ground breaking ceremony took place on October 29.
The 415,000 square-foot facility will be built in the new Troutdale Reynolds Industrial Park and will cost about USD 100 million including land, construction and material-handling equipment. Scheduled to open in 2010, the hub will feature the latest automated material handling technology designed to initially process 25,000 packages per hour and eventually 45,000 packages per hour when it reaches full capacity after a projected expansion. The workforce at opening is projected to include more than 500 full-time and part-time employees and about 200 independent contractor opportunities, many of which will transfer from the current facility.
FedEx files suit on Washington State Department of Labor & Industries
FedEx Corp unit FedEx Ground has filed a lawsuit against the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries seeking to gain control of an unedited copy of a report on the company’s use of contractors to deliver packages.
The lawsuit, filed with the Superior Court of Washington for Thurston County on Monday, is the latest chapter in a broad-ranging battle between FedEx Ground and a number of critics of its contractor model, including the Teamsters union.
FedEx Ground uses some 15,000 independent contractors as drivers whom the company describes as entrepreneurs.
FedEx Ground states in the lawsuit that it was contacted by an employee of the labor department in late 2006 or early 2007 who stated that the department had received a report addressing FedEx Ground’s classification of “pick-up and delivery drivers” from an entity named Clark Consulting.
In February 2007 FedEx Ground said it issued a Public Disclosure Act request to the labor department seeking a copy of the report and information about who compiled it. The labor department originally refused to release the report, FedEx Ground said in its filing.
Read MoreFedEx Delivers for Mother's Day
With Mother’s day just days away, FedEx has ramped up operations to support one of its busiest times of the year. Millions of flowers and gifts will pass through its hubs as FedEx is ready to brighten the day for mothers across the nation and around the world.
FedEx Express expects to see the largest delivery volume of flowers, plants and gifts for moms on Friday, May 9. On May 9, FedEx Express couriers will make 20 times more domestic flower deliveries than on an average day. Hundreds of thousands of flower deliveries have traveled through major FedEx hubs and gateways in Memphis, Miami, Indianapolis and Oakland between Tuesday, May 6 and Friday, May 9 on their way to be delivered in time for Mother’s Day.
FedEx Ground expects to see the largest delivery volumne of flowers, plans and Mother’s Day gifts on Saturday, May 10. FedEx Ground and Home Delivery will deliver more than 150,000 bouquets of flowers on May 10 alone.
For those procrastinators, FedEx will be making deliveries through Saturday, May 10 in time for Mother’s Day. Many e-commerce flower and gift retailers have located warehouses close to the FedEx Express Super Hub in Memphis, TN, allowing them to take last-minute orders up until Friday, May 9 and still have them delivered before Mother’s Day.
Read MoreFedEx Ground chooses Perrysburg, Ohio, site for new distribution hub
As part of a multi-billion dollar network expansion plan to nearly double average daily hub package volume capacity in North America, FedEx Ground, an operating unit of FedEx Corp., has chosen a 127-acre site in Perrysburg Township,Ohio, as the location for a new hub to replace its existing Toledo operation.
Total cost for the project is estimated to be USD 87 million, including land, construction and material-handling equipment. Once the hub is operating, FedEx Ground, through payments for property taxes, will be one of the largest contributors to the local Rossford City Schools annual budget.
The 400,000 square-foot facility will be built on Buck Road near the I-75 interchange. When it opens in 2009, the new hub will feature the latest automated material handling technology designed to initially process 22,500 packages per hour and 45,000 packages per hour when it eventually reaches full capacity after a projected expansion. The current workforce of nearly 550 employees and independent contractors is projected to eventually increase to more than 800.
Enhancing our distribution capability in the Midwest is an important step in our ongoing efforts to increase the size, speed and efficiency of our network, said Michael P. Mannion, senior vice president of Operations for FedEx Ground. This new facility will help us meet the growing demand of local shippers and serve as one of just two gateways for shipments destined to Canada.
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