UPS Completes European Hub Expansion
UPS opened an expanded package-sorting hub in Europe after 2 1/2 years of construction, the carrier said yesterday. The hub represents the largest facility investment outside the United States in UPS history.Located at the Cologne/Bonn Airport in Germany, the site almost doubles the original hub's sorting capacity to 110,000 packages an hour. Much of that increase in speed has been accomplished through the deployment of new automation technology.
"UPS continues to experience strong growth in Europe, and this facility will ensure we are able to provide our customers with reliable, global distribution solutions," Wolfgang Flick, president of UPS Europe, said in a statement.
The expansion is part of UPS' long-term strategy to help customers compete in Europe and to link Europe with North America and Asia. Costing $135 million, the expansion more than doubles the UPS airport hub to 813,000 square feet. The company employs 1,800 people at the hub.
UPS export volume from Europe grew 15 percent last year.
