Express courier company DHL has officially opened a new facility, covering almost 15,000 square metres in area, in Blarney Business Park in Co Cork.

The new sorting facility represents a major expansion in capacity, as the previous centre had 2,300 sq m of useable space

DHL says the investment cost for the new facility amounted to €11.7m.

Bernard McCarthy, managing director of DHL Express Ireland, said: “We’re delighted to open our new purpose-built facility in Blarney Business Park which provides a great base to service our many customers in Cork and across the South-Western region. 

“Through the pandemic, with pressure and congestion in global supply chains, access to international express services has become even more important for Irish businesses trading internationally.

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"In that regard this new facility provides further scope and capacity to manage the volume growth that we are experiencing and in so doing further improve our service offering to our local customer base.”

The new centre will serve all of DHL’s 220 serviced countries, according to McCarthy, and has the capacity to handle 60 routes at any one time.

Minister for Public Expenditure Michael McGrath, who attended the official opening, added: “Logistics plays a huge part in the modern world, and the considerable investment that DHL have made will allow them to further enhance the service they provide to their growing customer base. 

“I was particularly struck by the manner in which they have integrated sustainability, safety and efficiency in to their processes and their aim of net zero emissions by 2050.”

The new centre follows DHL's investment in a similar centre in Shannon, Co Clare in November 2018, built in compliance with the latest guidelines of the Deutsche Post DHL Group GoGreen strategy for new facilities, embodying sustainability, safety and efficiency.

Photo: Minister Michael McGrath (left) and Bernard McCarthy. (Pic: INPHO/Bryan Keane)