It has been a year since the expansion of UPS's hub in Cologne, Germany, the location that centralizes all European operations of the leading multinational in parcel, supply chain, and freight. During this time, the latest innovations introduced at the air hub there have enabled business volume to increase by approximately 15% in the first quarter in Europe, compared to the same period in 2006.
Last year, UPS completed the expansion of its air freight logistics platform in Cologne, a project that doubled its package sorting capacity to approximately 110.000 units per hour in the initial phase. Previously, the number hovered around 60.000 packages per hour. The company plans to move to a second phase, sorting around 135.000 items, followed by a third phase that will allow it to reach 165.000. The project, which represented an investment of over $135 million, included the construction of a new automated building of approximately 30.000 square meters. The current hub covers 75.000 square meters. This building, known as Freight West, is connected to the original facility via two bridges, 126 and 152 meters long respectively, equipped with eight conveyors to move cargo between them.
Nearly two thousand employees work at UPS's European hub, thanks to the new facilities which required the addition of 225 people: jobs in air and ground, loading and unloading.
The facilities in the northern German city are a key link in the US-based logistics operator's strategy to expand its global air network. Their origins date back to 1986, UPS's first European location, and the decision to make it the nerve center of its continental operations stems from several advantages, including its proximity to major German and European business centers; its transport infrastructure; the possibility of overnight flights; and favorable weather conditions.
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