DHL spends $18 million to expand air freight logistics center in Shanghai

The logistics company said its improved facility features a “unique” cold storage facility designed for the life sciences and healthcare sectors.

   DHL has invested 16 million euros ($18 million) to expand its air freight logistics center in Shanghai.
   The expansion included nearly doubling warehouse space to 15,211 square meters (49,905 square feet) and a new “unique” 1,600-square-meter cold storage facility designed to serve the company’s life sciences and healthcare customers. According to a statement from DHL, the company is “the only international freight forwarder there that provides temperature controlled storage in its own facility.”
   Developed on the site of the existing DHL facility within the No. 1 Customs Supervised Bonded Zone, the center will also house a total of 500 staff from air freight operations and product teams, as well as customer service.
   “This development has been in the pipeline since 2010 and we completed construction last year with the aim of creating a super facility in Shanghai that’s a one-stop logistics service shop for all of our air freight customers,” said Kelvin Leung, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding Asia Pacific. “Now DHL Global Forwarding can offer an integrated service that’s wholly operated by our specialist teams – all under one roof. Not only are we providing better service quality, we are also offering new and unique services too. DHL is the only logistics company in the Shanghai No. 1 Customs Supervised Bonded Zone that can offer customers cold storage in a multi-temperature controlled space.”
   The new cold storage facility will be part of DHL Thermonet’s network of over 80 certified life sciences stations, which provide temperature visibility, monitoring and intervention based on pre-determined touch points and DHL’s RFID SmartSensor technology.
   Steve Huang, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding China said, “The demand for cold chain services is increasing and we now have 20 times more capacity than we did. Not only do we now have the space but we are also offering a world class standard DHL Thermonet service. Our customers in China have peace of mind knowing that they can choose a seamless temperature controlled service that has complete integrity – from temperature controlled trucks, warehouses, transit shuttles to flights – all continually monitored by DHL’s smart sensors.”