UPS has officially opened its expanded East Midlands air hub, increasing its global market reach, in particular for small businesses looking for cross-border customers.
The hub is fitted with the latest package sorting technology such as automated scanning and sortation systems that make operations more efficient and more sustainable by reducing the company’s carbon footprint. EMA is also served in part by liquefied natural gas UPS vehicles which connect the facility to customers throughout the UK and refuel at the nearby ground hub in Tamworth.
The facility measures at 387,500ft2 and can handle the sortation of 22,500 packages per hour, which is more than twice the amount handled at the company’s previous site.
This will help UK exporters scale up more easily during peak periods. In particular, regional small and medium-sized businesses that can benefit from the six daily flights that connect EMA to key markets, including Germany and trans-Atlantic opportunities in the United States.
The operation has created more than 640 job opportunities for the region.
Jim O’Gara, President, UPS UK Ireland & Nordics said: “Our investment at East Midlands Airport shows our confidence that UK businesses of all sizes are poised to make the most of export opportunities now and in the future.
“Our message to companies large and small in the region is that the world is at their fingertips, and we’re here to make doing business internationally as easy as doing business at home.’’
