• 1,300 jobs created since beginning of expansion
• Unique, fully automated sorting facility for heavier shipments
• Capacity increase of about 50 percent 

DHL today officially opened the new sorting center at its express hub in Leipzig. Thanks to the state-of-the-art sorting facility, bulkier and heavier shipments can now be sorted on a fully automated basis at Europe's most modern shipment sorting facility. The investment of EUR 230 million to expand the European hub has boosted the processing capacity of DHL at the site by about 50 percent to 150,000 shipments per hour. The company has also created 1,300 jobs since work began on the expansion, bringing the total number of people employed by DHL at the hub to around 4,900.

"The successful launch of our expanded hub and the new sorting facility is a further step that reinforces the importance of Leipzig as our main European express hub," said Frank Appel, CEO of Deutsche Post DHL Group, at an opening ceremony on October 12. "I am particularly delighted by the many additional jobs that we have been able to create. As a major employer and investor, we are very proud to be able to carry on supporting the positive economic development in Leipzig and the surrounding region."

The further expansion of the modern hub underscores Leipzig's prominent position within DHL's global network and reflects the company's response to continued dynamic growth in the international express delivery business. The new sorting technology is the first of its kind in the industry. It consists of a combination of various innovative conveyor technologies, enabling the fully automated handling of packages with a weight of up to 170 kilograms, which would otherwise be too heavy or bulky for standard conveyor belts.

"The expansion of our capacity and particularly the introduction of our new sorting technology provide our customers with two crucial advantages: even more reliability at an even greater speed," said Ralph Wondrak, Managing Director of DHL Leipzig Hub. "Through our investment, we are able not only to increase the daily capacity of our flights but also to further improve our efficiency. We are ensuring that Leipzig will continue to play a central role in the world of global trade."

A strong reflection of the importance of Leipzig Hub

The premier of Saxony, Stanislaw Tillich, said: "The DHL hub in Leipzig is an important part of Saxony's infrastructure and is a major employer that has made a significant contribution to the economic success story of the region and the country. Through the expansion, further convincing arguments are made for the establishment of new companies and investments in the Leipzig area."

The premier of Saxony-Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff, said: "DHL's hub in Leipzig is also tremendously important to Saxony-Anhalt - which is why I am so pleased with the completed expansion. One third of the now 4,900 employees come from Saxony-Anhalt. The DHL hub is an essential component of our modern infrastructure in Central Germany. Moreover, our companies operating internationally also benefit from the hub."

DHL Express has invested a total of 655 million euro in the Leipzig hub, including the costs for the upgrade.

The new expansion is a strong reflection of the importance of Leipzig Hub to trade activities within Europe and throughout the world. The expansion covers a total area of 44,000 square meters, of which 40,000 square meters is dedicated to the warehouse building and 4,000 square meters to modern office facilities.

Source: Deutsche Post DHL