UPS unveils $72 million distribution centre expansion

Avatar photo

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – After more than two years of work, UPS Canada has formally unveiled its $72 million expansion of its Toronto distribution centre.

 

Scott Davis, chairman and CEO of UPS, and Mike Tierney, president of UPS Canada, presided over the official opening of the newly expanded 463,024-sq.-ft. facility – the equivalent to about eight football fields. Officials say the expansion, which more than doubles UPS’s package processing capacity, was designed to facilitate international commerce between Canadian businesses and their overseas counterparts.

           

In opening the expanded facility, Davis noted it might seem strange that UPS would invest $72 million “in the middle of the worst recession in recent history.”

 

“But there’s a simple answer,” the CEO continued. “UPS sees the same kind of possibilities in Canada that we saw more than 30 years ago when it began UPS operations. We see amazing potential – a strong and resilient Canadian economy, the unstoppable force of global commerce and a nation of companies ready to emerge stronger from the recession into a new era of global growth.”

           

“You can’t look at this building as a stand-alone facility,” Davis added.  “It’s part of a global web of air and ground facilities, freight and airline fleets, warehouses and retail stores connecting each business to more than 200 countries and territories around the world.”

 

The expanded Toronto hub is located on Toronto’s northern border within the rapidly growing city of Vaughan, where UPS is the second largest employer. It will process freight shipments in addition to small package volume.

 

“This newly expanded facility will serve as a local economic driver, creating several hundred jobs for local and regional residents,” said Mike Tierney. “In addition, it will contribute to the tax base and offer the city a state-of-the-art building in line with environmental standards.”

 

The building includes numerous eco-features, including skylights for more natural light; an energy management system for climate control that automatically detects the amount of sunlight in the building and adjusts the internal temperature accordingly; the expansion of the propane fueling area to facilitate a broader use of propane fuel; and a comprehensive storm water management system.

Avatar photo

Truck News is Canada's leading trucking newspaper - news and information for trucking companies, owner/operators, truck drivers and logistics professionals working in the Canadian trucking industry.


Have your say


This is a moderated forum. Comments will no longer be published unless they are accompanied by a first and last name and a verifiable email address. (Today's Trucking will not publish or share the email address.) Profane language and content deemed to be libelous, racist, or threatening in nature will not be published under any circumstances.

*