• Set to open in 2021, the new facility, four times the size of current facility at 200,000 square feet, to meet double-digit volume growth
  • Being DHL’s largest gateway in Canada, the new facility will quadruple the current handling capacity


Toronto, Canada, October 29, 2019: DHL, the world’s leading global express and logistics company, announced today its latest gateway expansion in Canada: a new $100 million CAD facility at the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport. This new facility will replace its existing one, also at Hamilton International, to meet double-digit growth in shipment volumes.

“Hamilton International Airport offers us the benefits that we need to meet our growing demands in handling capacity,” said Andrew Williams, CEO for DHL Express Canada. “With 24-hour landing capability, dedicated onsite Canada Border Services Agency representation and the ability to grow in the future with a partner positioned to become the cargo hub of Ontario, we know this is the best decision to continue leading the market.”

“I was pleased to visit DHL officials in Leipzig, Germany two years ago to underline our commitment to do everything possible to assist in the expansion of DHL’s facility at Hamilton International Airport,” said Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger. “This is further evidence that our airport is an economic driver that is attracting international investment resulting in high-value jobs and increased prosperity.”

“Today’s announcement from DHL is great news for the Airport, the City of Hamilton and the province as Hamilton International is a global gateway facilitating the movement of goods and Ontario is the home of a strong and rapidly growing e-commerce industry,” said Cathie Puckering, President and CEO of John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport. “The Airport and DHL are proud of a great, long-standing relationship for two decades and DHL’s investment will ensure it is well positioned for success at Hamilton International Airport for many years to come.”

Since 2014, international trade has generated continuous growth in shipments per day for DHL Express in the Americas, averaging at around 8% growth each year for the entire region combined. In Canada alone, shipments per day growth have doubled with 60% of the total Canadian shipments cleared every month at Hamilton International. The Hamilton Gateway is the largest gateway for DHL Express in Canada by volume. Other DHL Express gateways in Canada are located in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Montreal, and Mirabel.

The new facility, which will be four times the size of the current one at 200,000 square feet, will feature a fully-automated sort system with a capacity of processing 15,000 packages per hour.

Today, the DHL Express Hamilton International Gateway has two daily flights connecting Canada to the International network via Cincinnati. The facility will also generate an increase in front line job growth to meet higher demands, adding to its existing 225 employees.

“As I’ve said before, government doesn’t create jobs, businesses do,” said Ontario Premier Doug Ford. “We welcome DHL’s $100 million investment in our province and we will continue to make Ontario the best place to grow a business and create jobs for people.”

DHL Express moved to its current Hamilton International facility in 2008. In the last four years, the company has invested more than 30 million CAD to increase its fleet and aviation capacity, along with expanding its facilities in Edmonton and Winnipeg, and most recently, doubling its capacity at the Vancouver International Airport in Richmond. DHL Express has 17 owned locations throughout Canada and more than 450 partner locations.

Last year, DHL Express launched a new direct flight from the DHL Express Americas Hub in Cincinnati to Vancouver, also as a result of double-digit shipment growth generated from the growing international trade – specifically between the U.S. and Canada. Inbound shipments had increased by 38 percent to Vancouver from 2017 to 2018, while outbound volumes increased by 10 percent, all as a result of the accelerating e-commerce business paired with an already-strong customer base for the company. The new flight, an $8.6 million CAD investment, increased shipment capacity on the route by up to 40% improvement, and created more opportunity for Vancouver’s small and medium-sized businesses to trade internationally by improving reliability, connectivity and capacity between the two markets.

In the last two years, DHL Express has invested more than $289 million CAD in operational investments throughout the Americas, which have allowed for improved automation for speed and accuracy at hubs, gateways and service center facilities across the region.


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Media Contact:

Hazel Valencia
Media Relations, DHL Express (Canada), Ltd.
(416) 817-8051
Hazel.Valencia@dhl.com

50 Years DHL
In 2019 DHL is celebrating 50 years since the company’s founding by three entrepreneurs in San Francisco in 1969. DHL began as a disruptor to the traditional delivery industry, circumventing bureaucracy with an innovative new service to deliver documents by air overnight. Since then, DHL has grown into a globe-spanning family of DHL companies with about 380,000 employees in over 220 countries and territories that covers the entire spectrum of logistics and supply chain services. DHL’s customer-centricity and can-do culture have fueled five decades of innovation – from the DHL 1000, one of the first word processing computers in the world, to using the purpose built StreetScooter, an environmentally friendly delivery vehicle powered by an electric drive and developed by Deutsche Post DHL Group. With the Mission 2050 commitment to reach zero group-wide emissions by 2050, DHL is continuing to be a trailblazer in the logistics industry.

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DHL is the leading global brand in the logistics industry. Our DHL family of divisions offer an unrivalled portfolio of logistics services ranging from national and international parcel delivery, e-commerce shipping and fulfillment solutions, international express, road, air and ocean transport to industrial supply chain management. With about 380,000 employees in more than 220 countries and territories worldwide, DHL connects people and businesses securely and reliably, enabling global trade flows. With specialized solutions for growth markets and industries including technology, life sciences and healthcare, energy, automotive and retail, a proven commitment to corporate responsibility and an unrivalled presence in developing markets, DHL is decisively positioned as “The logistics company for the world”.

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