United Parcel Service (UPS), a global leader in logistics, has announced plans to build a new package sorting and delivery facility in Paris, France at an investment of over $100 million.

The new facility, set to open in the first quarter of 2018, will replace two smaller facilities and will create more than 100 new jobs, said a statement from UPS.

The site will be a showcase for the company’s automated package sorting technology which minimises time in transit to final delivery, it said.

The French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, mayor of Corbeil-Essonnes Jean-Pierre Bechter, mayor of Evry Francois Chouat and several other dignitaries attended the ground breaking ceremony, it added.

Addressing the gathering, Valls said: "The new UPS hub will allow French businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to take advantage of more efficient logistics, as well as export more easily and conquer new markets."

The new South Paris sorting and delivery facility will replace smaller buildings in Chilly-Mazarin and Savigny for small packages and larger freight shipments. It will have an operating area of more than 320,000 sq ft and 950 employees, said a statement.

The new facility’s advanced technology will make it possible to sort up to 37,000 packages per hour, using 124 loading and unloading bays, with 125 parking positions for UPS delivery trucks, it said.

Mike Harrell, managing director, UPS France, said: "France is a key market for UPS and building this new facility south of Paris shows our commitment to the French and European economies."

“Corbeil-Essonnes and Evry are two economic centres in the Essonnes region, with more than 2,000 businesses of all sizes. By using our integrated network we will help these companies grow by giving them fast access to markets beyond their region,” he said.

Nando Cesarone, president of UPS Europe, said: “We are bullish on Europe’s growth potential and this investment in France - UPS’s largest for the country – is part of our $2 billion investment programme currently underway in Europe.”

“With e-commerce and cross-border business on the rise, we are making our most economical cross-border service up to two days faster in 19 European countries, including France. Our customers rely on our network to help them be successful in today’s global economy where cross-border trade represents real growth opportunities,” he added. – TradeArabia News Service