DHL SUPPLY CHAIN LAUNCHES TWO NEW WAREHOUSES TO BOLSTER NEW ZEALAND SUPPLY CHAIN RESILIENCE

• Auckland and Christchurch facilities to house pharmaceuticals, medical devices, consumer electronics and retail goods
  
• DHL Supply Chain New Zealand is the leading third-party logistics provider for the life science and healthcare industry in the market
  
• On track to achieve zero logistics-related carbon emissions by 2050
  

DHL Supply Chain, the global market leader in contract logistics solutions, today announced the launch of two new state-of-the-art storage facilities in New Zealand. The new facilities in Auckland and Christchurch offer a combined floor space of 12,500 sqm – about the size of two rugby pitches – and will serve the consumer (electronics and retail goods) and healthcare sectors (pharmaceuticals and medical devices) respectively.
 
The investment in these new facilities adds to DHL’s existing New Zealand footprint of 120,000sqm and will help DHL Supply Chain service the evolving needs of existing customers, while supporting the logistics leader’s ambitious growth plans for the New Zealand market.

Matt Casbolt, Managing Director, DHL Supply Chain New Zealand said, “Over the past 12 months we have seen heightened pressures on global supply chains and an increased appetite for more robust local distribution capabilities. This investment will empower New Zealand businesses and organisations with more resilient supply chain capabilities to support their respective growth plans and business models.”

New facility in Auckland

The Auckland facility extends DHL Supply Chain’s market-leading capacity for consumer products, servicing the Retail, Consumer Electronics and Consumer Personal Care sectors. This additional capacity will enable customers to adapt inventory planning strategies as market conditions shift, hold more safety stock, and reduce the impact on their supply chains caused by supply and port disruptions. The facility is certified to store both food and pharmaceutical products and holds the latest licences for ISOs 9001:2015, 14001:2015, 45001:2018.

New facility in Christchurch

The Christchurch facility creates capacity for the distribution of critically important healthcare products to the South Island. DHL’s industry leading cold-chain operations will ensure pharmaceutical products can be stored at their ideal temperature range of between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius, while specialised freezers will keep more sensitive products at ultra cold temperatures. The facility is located within close proximity to Christchurch International Airport, as well as major arterial routes and forwarding hubs.

In addition to reducing lead times for vital healthcare products, the Christchurch facility will ensure these products can be delivered where they are needed without disruptions resulting from natural events, cancelled ferry sailings or road closures.

In tandem with the facility build, DHL has been MEDSAFE approved to provide secondary packing services for certain vaccines.

“Healthcare is one of the most important industries, so ensuring we have the right infrastructure and capability on-shore was a priority,” added Casbolt. “This investment helps us manage the short-term surge in demand for pharmaceuticals, but it also ensures New Zealand has a robust healthcare supply chain to meet future demand as the market grows.”

To best manage the distribution of cold-chain products, DHL Supply Chain has proprietary packaging solutions which are designed specifically for pharmaceutical products to ensure health supplies are delivered in the perfect condition. This includes Woolchill, a FSANZ Food Safe certified natural cooling system made from sheep wool, which maintains chilled products at for up to 50 hours, removing the need for refrigerated vehicles and plastic or polystyrene packaging.

On track to zero-emissions by 2050

In addition to the use of environmentally-friendly packaging solutions, DHL is on a journey to reduce emissions as part of its ongoing commitment to our sustainability agenda that includes:

• 80% of energy used in our facilities comes from renewable energy sources
  
• Utilizing motion sensor and LED lighting
  
• Harvesting daylight

“DHL Supply Chain is committed to doing its part to ensure our customers and partners have access to supply chain operations that are cost-efficient, operationally excellent and environmentally sustainable,” said Casbolt. “DHL Supply Chain has set out to reduce all logistics-related emissions to zero by 2050, and these investments ensure we are on track to meet that goal.”

The distribution centres also employ biophilic design principles that connect people to the natural environment and serve to bolster the plant and animal ecosystem local to the facilities. Beehives will be installed at the Auckland and Christchurch facilities, as well as select others, to support the pollination process critical to maintaining local plant health. Each site will also have a flower garden to support the bee population, and other local pollinators like butterflies, in their mission to build a vibrant floral environment.