DHL, the world’s leading express and logistics company, is setting new environmental and security standards for the logistics industry with its substantial investment in a new purpose-built DHL Global Forwarding facility in Brisbane.
One of the first customers to use the new facility will be Sandvik Mining and Construction Australia, which imports a range of mining equipment from the US, Europe and Singapore.
Items range from giant mining drill rigs, loaders and trucks to small packages of spare parts, with business growing strongly.
DHL Global Forwarding is the market leader in air and ocean freight and the new facility located at Brisbane Airport, which represents an investment of over $8million, is over 4250sq m in area and includes cool-chain facilities to handle perishable goods, along with airfreight import and export, ocean freight import and export, and customs clearance.
The facility has the highest security certification from the Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA) and includes motion detectors, 25 CCTV cameras, a high value goods storage area, and state-of-the-art alarm system.
This highly sought after security accreditation is awarded to facilities that meet the stringent security standards set by independent TAPA trained and accredited auditors and many Global Forwarding facilities worldwide already have TAPA accreditation.
Sandvik Logistics Manager, Paul Ferguson says security, accuracy and capacity were the main elements they required from importing facilities.
“All of our imports come through either Brisbane or Perth and reliability, security and capacity is very important,” Ferguson says.
“Our growth has been rapid over the last two years and we’re working at capacity, so knowing that imports will be worry free is essential. This type of investment by DHL makes sure that this continues in the future.”
The new facility also includes the latest environmentally responsible devices such as light sensors to minimise light use on bright days, auto light control systems in offices, rainwater tanks and materials recycling.
Tony Boll, Senior Vice President, South Pacific, DHL Global Forwarding says the new facility is a substantial investment in Queensland’s future and has been built to the latest specifications to give the state’s importers and exporters access to international-class facilities.
“We are very proud to have built a facility in Queensland which is amongst the best in the world,” Boll says.
“This purpose-built facility incorporates the latest in security and environmental initiatives to ensure that DHL is at the cutting edge of international trade and logistics now and into the future.”
In 2008 the facility is forecast to accept 7.5 million kilos of airfreight imports, 5.5 million kilos of perishable airfreight exports, 2750 ocean freight container imports and over 28,000 items cleared through customs.