Mayor Emanuel joined DHL for the opening of the company’s $10 million global gateway facility at O’Hare International Airport.
October 30, 2017: DHL’s new $10 million global gateway facility at O’Hare International Airport, Chicago was inaugurated by Mayor Rahm Emanuel. To grow its thriving global air network, DHL has selected Chicago’s new state-of-the-art northeast cargo campus at O’Hare, which is on track to be the largest cargo development built at a US airport in more than a decade when completed in the next few years.
“DHL’s expansion in Chicago, which brings new economic activity and jobs to our city, is a direct result of our investments to make O’Hare a top global gateway for air cargo operations,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “The world’s leading companies like DHL are investing in Chicago because O’Hare provides the best connectivity to markets around the globe and has the capacity to keep growing for many years to come.”
The addition of this new 54,000 square-foot, US$10 million global gateway facility will grow the company’s Chicago presence and will create 75 new jobs, including import and export agents, as well as training and office personnel.
It adds to Chicago’s growing northeast cargo campus, which DHL said was on track to be “the largest cargo development built at a U.S. airport in more than a decade when completed in the next few years.”
The latest investment in Chicago by DHL Express was driven by the company’s current and forecasted shipment growth from US businesses trading internationally as well as the continuing growth in e-commerce shipping. DHL selected O’Hare to expand its growing Midwest operations based on Chicago’s ideal location, which includes a strong transportation network conducive to business in and around the Midwest, as well as its skilled workforce.
“DHL remains invested in Chicago as more opportunities arise for businesses in the region to expand internationally and as e-commerce continues to flourish,” said Greg Hewitt, CEO of DHL Express US. “Our new gateway is poised for this growth and will help us further serve customers as efficiently as possible. We are grateful to Mayor Emanuel for his leadership, and his city’s leadership, in recognizing the strategic importance of O’Hare as a global leader in the air cargo business.”
The new DHL gateway, which expands DHL’s existing operations at O’Hare, features a unique onsite US Customs operation that allows for faster processing capabilities for inbound and outbound international shipments for the Chicago area and other Midwest markets. In addition to accommodating future shipment volume growth, the expansion of operations will supplement the US network capacity of DHL to expedite shipments of packages at peak seasons such as the November-December holidays. O’Hare is also home to the DHL Global Forwarding facility, a 491,000 square-foot office and warehouse building that houses 500 employees. It is the largest freestanding DHL global forwarding building in its worldwide network.
“O’Hare’s cargo operations have experienced record growth in recent years, and we are thrilled to continue our growth with our longstanding partners at DHL,” said Ginger S. Evans, Commissioner, Chicago Department of Aviation. “Every year, air cargo shipments generate billions of dollars for our local economy and support thousands of jobs. We want to thank DHL for their continued investment in Chicago, which will in turn further strengthen O’Hare’s standing as a global destination for global trade.”
Follow us on Twitter for more Logistics News
The new DHL Express facility can process more than 4,500 pieces per hour, ranging from small parcels to palletized freight. The DHL facility is LEED-certified and is on track to be certified by the Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA) in early 2018. TAPA sets the global benchmarks for best practices in cargo security handling.
The new gateway facility joins DHL operations south of O’Hare International Airport, in Franklin Park, and another north of Midway International Airport, in McCook. The gateway is also connected to five DHL hubs based in London, UK; Leipzig, Germany; Shanghai, China; Incheon, South Korea; and Hong Kong.
