UPS To Open New Distribution Centre At YYC

November 18, 2008   |  

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Contacts:
Dan Ovsey
APEX Public Relations
(416) 924-4442 ext. 239
Steve Vitale
UPS Canada
(905) 676-1708

UPS TO OPEN NEW DISTRIBUTION CENTRE AT CALGARY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

MISSISSAUGA, ON, Nov. 18, 2008 – The world's largest package delivery company is establishing a new distribution centre at the Calgary International Airport to meet the rising demands of Alberta's economy.

UPS Canada announced today it is building a 150,000-square-foot distribution facility on Aero Drive NE. The $26 million facility will offer state-of-the-art technology to facilitate import, export and Canadian domestic shipments while allowing UPS to double its package processing capability over time.

“Calgary is clearly Alberta's premier international gateway for cargo today and in the future and this new facility will ensure current and new customers continue to receive expedient, reliable and convenient service,” said Mike Tierney, president of UPS Canada.

The new building is the latest addition to Calgary's expanding transportation and logistics industry, which has grown 77 per cent – twice as fast as the rest of the economy – and doubled the size of its workforce to 40,700 in the past 10 years. The new UPS distribution centre will employ 415 of the air transport sector's 6,500 employees.

Since 2003, UPS has seen a 60 per cent increase in the volume of orders from the greater Calgary area, particularly from the retail, technology and financial sectors. The surge in demand prompted the company to invest in a new facility that will ease the flow of parcels through the distribution process and ensure it maintains an optimal level of customer service.

“Calgary's economy is extremely competitive and only by providing superior service to our customers can we continue to grow with the rising demands of the city's businesses,” said Tierney. “The new facility will allow us to reduce the time customer shipments spend in transit, which ultimately means our customers continue to receive the level of speed and service for which UPS has become world renowned.”

The new UPS facility will have airside access in the Airport's YYC Global Logistics Parks, highly efficient, multifunctional, international trade and transportation hubs that move high volumes of goods to and from local, regional and international destinations. The Parks are part of The Calgary Airport Authority's mandate to foster economic development in the city.

"Calgary is western Canada's largest transportation and logistics centre and one of the major reasons is the 'air cargo bridge' that we've created," said Stephan Poirier, vice president and chief commercial officer for The Calgary Airport Authority. "It provides companies such as UPS access to 24/7 cargo services and an impressive and growing network of integrated transportation systems, services and companies, all on Airport land."

YYC Global Logistics Parks have more than doubled air cargo movement at the Calgary International Airport to 134,000 tonnes in 2007, from 66,000 tonnes in 1999, and have helped turn the Airport into one of the city's major economic engines. Today, the Airport generates more than $5 billion of annual economic activity, approximately 10 per cent of Calgary's gross domestic product, and more than 15,000 people work on Airport land.

UPS's new airport distribution centre will house 157 trucks and will service Calgary as well as surrounding communities, including Airdrie, Okotoks, High River, Bragg Creek, Cochrane, Strathmore, Canmore and Banff. UPS will continue to operate its three separate distribution centres in the city until the new facility becomes operational in October 2009.
 
About The Calgary Airport Authority
The Calgary Airport Authority is a not-for-profit, non-share capital corporation responsible for the management, maintenance and development of the Calgary International Airport and Springbank Airport under long-term lease from the Government of Canada. Since assuming responsibility for Calgary International Airport in 1992, the Authority has invested more than $880 million in capital and expansion projects while paying $300 million in federal airport rent tax to the Government of Canada.
 
About UPS
UPS (NYSE: UPS) is the world's largest package delivery company and a global leader in supply chain and freight services. With more than a century of experience in transportation and logistics, UPS is a leading global trade expert equipped with a broad portfolio of solutions. Headquartered in Atlanta, GA., UPS serves more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. The company can be found on the Web at UPS.com. To get UPS news direct, visit pressroom.ups.com/RSS.