LOUISVILLE, Ky., May 15, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
- Expansion more than triples size of ground sortation and distribution hub to over 1 million square feet, nearly doubling package sorting capacity
- Adds even more support for express service packages routed to UPS’s nearby Worldport® air hub at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport
- Business and retail customers gain speed-to-market and enhanced flexibility from highly automated “super hub”
UPS (NYSE:UPS) has completed the multi-phase expansion of its Louisville Centennial ground package sortation and distribution facility. The project has created 300 new full- and part-time jobs and features UPS’s advanced package processing technologies.
“Tripling the size of our Centennial hub provides companies with distribution centers and operations in Kentucky and the surrounding areas with more opportunities to better serve their customers,” said Joe Boyle, president of UPS’s Ohio Valley District. “UPS is grateful for the strong relationship we have built with the city of Louisville and the Commonwealth of Kentucky. And we appreciate the Louisville Renaissance Zone Corporation’s support in making this a successful project. It’s an exciting time to be a partner in the economic growth of this region.”
“We are excited to mark the opening of the Centennial hub, part of the continued investment UPS makes in our community. UPS has been a valuable corporate partner for decades, participating in the SummerWorks and Metropolitan College programs, and as UPS grows, so does our city,” said Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer. “Its presence has attracted more than 200 companies to the Louisville region, creating thousands of jobs and bringing in millions of investment dollars. Congratulations to UPS on its latest expansion.”
The Louisville super hub’s strategic proximity to UPS’s Worldport air hub at Louisville International Airport supports end-of-runway express services like UPS Next Day Air® and UPS eFulfillment that many e-commerce companies demand. The Centennial hub can insert packages into UPS’s air operations as late as 1:30 a.m. for delivery across the country the same day.
“UPS is building innovative solutions to serve small, medium and large businesses in Louisville, throughout the Ohio Valley, across the United States and around the world,” said Boyle. “This expansion is part of how UPS is enabling companies of all sizes to deliver products when, where and how their customers want.”
Now covering more than 19 football fields, the expanded facility can process approximately 85,000 packages per hour via nearly 25 miles of conveyors using highly automated processing equipment. Six-sided laser label decode tunnels will rapidly capture package information from address labels. High speed label applicators will place UPS “smart labels” on packages at a rate of 3 per second, providing UPS personnel instructions for proper routing and loading into waiting trailers headed to destinations across the country, or into package delivery vehicles bound for Louisville-area businesses and residents.
“Super hubs” like Centennial increase the speed and flexibility of packages moving through UPS’s smart global logistics network. They also have a significantly higher package processing capacity than most other package operations facilities.
The Louisville hub expansion project is part of a multi-year UPS investment plan to modernize and expand the company’s global network, including addition of several new facilities and acquisition of new cargo aircraft.
In November, UPS also opened a new package delivery facility in Richwood, Ky. to serve the rapidly growing business and residential demand in the surrounding area that includes Cincinnati, Ohio. Both facilities utilize UPS’s proprietary network planning software that integrates UPS’s air and ground operations across the U.S. and around the globe. The technology enables UPS to more efficiently manage spikes in shipping volume and severe weather.
“The commonwealth of Kentucky congratulates UPS on completing their transformative $310 million Centennial Ground hub expansion at Louisville International Airport. We are grateful for our strong, enduring partnership with UPS and for the company’s powerful impact upon the workforce, economy and community of the Louisville region,” Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin said. “The sky is truly the limit as UPS continues to expand its extensive operations here in Kentucky, America’s premier transportation and logistics hub.”
UPS employs more than 29,000 people across Kentucky in package delivery operations, air operations, ground freight, healthcare logistics and contract logistics. Louisville is the home of UPS’s Worldport air hub, the largest automated package handling facility in the world, and the center point of UPS’s worldwide air network.
Interested jobseekers can begin the application process at upsjobs.com, which has a fully mobile version of the job application site. Many opportunities are available with eligibility for benefits, including tuition assistance.
About UPS
UPS (NYSE: UPS) is a global leader in logistics, offering a broad range of solutions including transporting packages and freight; facilitating international trade, and deploying advanced technology to more efficiently manage the world of business. Headquartered in Atlanta, UPS serves more than 220 countries and territories worldwide. UPS was awarded America’s Best Customer Service company for Shipping and Delivery services by Newsweek magazine; Forbes Most Valuable Brand in Transportation; and top rankings on the JUST 100 list for social responsibility, the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, and the Harris Poll Reputation Quotient, among other prestigious rankings and awards. The company can be found on the web at ups.com or pressroom.ups.com and its corporate blog can be found at longitudes.ups.com. The company’s sustainability eNewsletter, UPS Horizons, can be found at ups.com/sustainabilitynewsletter. To get UPS news direct, follow @UPS_News on Twitter.
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