DHL Express has opened an expanded facility at Auckland Airport to better support businesses operating in and out of New Zealand following significant growth in international trade.
The new $15.3 million NZ ($11.1 million) facility is part of the company’s global investments to bolster network connectivity and employs approximately 130 people, including 20 new jobs and the expansion follows double-digit volume and shipment growth.
The new Auckland Gateway facility measures approximately 5,000 square metres and doubles the processing capability of the previous facility. This provides access to a network of more than 220 countries and territories globally, allowing Kiwi importers and exporters to trade in the global marketplace more efficiently than ever before.
DHL Express Asia Pacific chief executive officer, Ken Lee says: “International trade via imports and exports now comprises approximately 60 per cent of New Zealand’s overall economic activity and is growing.
“DHL Express is proud to facilitate trade for local businesses via our international network that connects New Zealand with over 220 countries and territories globally.
“The most popular trading partners for goods moving in and out of this Auckland -based facility include Australia, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, the UK and USA – with all trade lanes showing solid performance in recent months.”
DHL says in keeping with the company’s express delivery promise, new automated technologies have been installed to allow inbound and outbound freight to be processed twice as fast, moving from approximately 1,100 shipments per hour to 2,400.
The new technology aims to reduce double handling, thereby maintaining the integrity of the shipment and increasing efficiency and throughput. Each shipment will only be handled twice during processing – once for unload and once for reload.
