- DHL has begun construction of its new East Coast Distribution Facility in Allentown, Pa. The facility will serve as DHL's primary Eastern DC, serving all major metropolitan areas in the region. It will feature state-of-the-art software technology as well as advanced sorting equipment that is capable of processing 40,000 letters per hour and 50,000 parcels per hour. It will have a base footprint of 290,000 square feet with an additional 200,000 square feet of mezzanine space. The $107 million facility is expected to be completed by the fall of next year and will eventually employ 340 people.
In another move, DHL has announced its plans to invest $4 million over the next five years at DHL Columbus Commerce Park. The center operates as DHL's third-party logistics facility and is located at Rickenbacker Air Industrial Park near Columbus, Ohio. As the first phase of the expansion, DHL recently moved into a 190,000-square-foot facility at the complex. The facility will be outfitted with new material handling equipment and warehouse management systems. - VF Outdoor Inc. is building a new distribution center in Visalia, Calif. The facility, designed by Sedlak, will measure 800,000 square feet and is scheduled to begin operations in June. The DC will distribute the company's North Face and Reef brands of clothing and accessories. The facility is designed to achieve efficiencies in labor management and economies of scale in transportation. Sedlak is a supply chain consulting firm located in Highland Hills, Ohio.
- Timex Corp. has expanded its Global Distribution Center in Cebu, Philippines. The $13 million investment will allow the facility to distribute 170,000 watches each day. Timex has had a presence in the Philippines for 26 years. Some 80 percent of all Timex watches distributed worldwide pass through Cebu.
- Construction is under way on a 581,000-square-foot DC in Craven County, N.C., for BSH Home Appliances. German-owned BSH is the world's third-largest appliance supplier. The company has nearby manufacturing facilities that produce dishwashers, washers, dryers, cook tops, ranges and hoods.
- Cooper Tire and Rubber Co. has just moved into a new distribution facility in Grand Prairie, Texas. The 400,000-square-foot DC features 96 dock doors, a new warehouse management system and specially constructed racks. The facility will serve Cooper's customers in the Southwest, South and Midwest.
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