Transport and logistics provider DHL Group said Tuesday that it has relocated its Norfolk, Virginia, operations to a facility more than twice the size of its prior location.
The $7.3 million investment increases shipment capacity and enables faster processing, resulting in later cutoff times for shippers in eastern Virginia, said DHL, a German company with Americas headquarters in Plantation, Florida.
The new service center facility at 2551 Almeda Ave. serves Norfolk and the surrounding areas for local pickup and delivery, from the shipyards in Chesapeake to Kitty Hawk and the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It connects to the global DHL network through its daily dedicated 737 flight between Richmond International Airport and DHL’s global hub at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), in addition to trucking service to and from the DHL JFK Gateway, the company said.
“Through this new facility, DHL is thrilled to expand and improve its capabilities for international shippers within one of the nation’s largest export markets and continue to help customers — both large and small — capitalize on business growth opportunities beyond our borders,” said Nemer Abohasen, vice president and general manager of DHL Express.
With more than 30 operations and management staff, the new service center can process up to 2,000 pieces per hour, handling both U.S. domestic as well as time-definite international shipments to and from the 225 countries and territories served by DHL Express, DHL said. Local package delivery growth has been driven by business-to-business and business-to-consumer e-commerce shipping, as well as companies that provide services for federal contractors and other organizations associated with the U.S. government, DHL said.
The facility is also equipped with charging stations as it will soon introduce fully electric pickup and delivery vehicles, DHL said.
DHL, like other transport companies, has managed through weaker demand and higher costs. Its DHL Supply Chain unit earlier this week announced layoffs in Joliet, Ill.