DHL Express invests $90 Million to expand and modernize New York–area operations

DHL Express said this week it is making a major investment to grow its footprint around New York City. The company said it’s spending $90 million on new facilities and automation upgrades to handle more shipments and deliver faster across the region.

As part of the plan, DHL will move its Manhattan service center to a new 92,505-square-foot site in Jersey City, New Jersey, by the end of November 2025. The new building is about five miles from Lower Manhattan and is designed to make deliveries smoother, safer, and more efficient.

The Jersey City site will include charging stations for electric vehicles, improved access for couriers, and new dispatch systems to help drivers get on the road faster. DHL says the new equipment will let the facility sort twice as many packages as its current Manhattan center, increasing from 3,000 to 6,000 packages per hour.

“The New York City area is a cornerstone of our U.S. network and a key gateway for international trade,” said Greg Hewitt, CEO of DHL Express U.S. “This investment ensures we have the right infrastructure in place to support our customers’ growing needs for years to come.”

The expansion also includes a larger Brooklyn facility that now covers 70,202 square feet, nearly triple the size of the previous site. That building’s upgraded automation doubles its sorting capacity from 1,500 to 3,000 packages per hour.

Together, the projects are part of a broader plan to strengthen DHL’s network across Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, Long Island City, and Hauppauge. The company says these moves will help balance shipment volumes, ease pressure on high-demand locations, and improve service reliability.

DHL is also adding a new direct flight connection between its main U.S. hub in Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky and Newark Liberty International Airport, bringing aircraft closer to the Jersey City center. Other New York-area sites will continue to connect through JFK Airport.

The new route is expected to reduce transit times and improve reliability for shipments across the metro area.

“With this investment, we’re not just expanding capacity, we’re optimizing how we operate in one of the most complex and dynamic logistics environments in the world,” Hewitt said. “Our new facilities and flight connections will allow us to handle increasing shipment volumes with greater speed, reliability, and sustainability, all while continuing to deliver the exceptional service our customers expect from DHL.”

A DHL spokesman provided LM with additional information about this news below.

LM: What drove the need for DHL to make this $90M investment into the Greater New York City area? How long had it been planned/in the works?

DHL: It had been planned since Q2 of 2023. This investment was driven by DHL Express’ commitment to modernizing our U.S. network and meeting growing demand in key markets, like New York.

LM: What are the main benefits of this for your customers, in terms of service efficiencies and improvements?

DHL: Located just five miles from Lower Manhattan, the 92,505-square-foot site features a thoughtfully designed layout that enhances both operational efficiency and employee safety, with improved accessibility for courier vehicles, on-site charging infrastructure, and upgraded dispatch capabilities—enabling faster and more reliable deliveries to customers throughout Manhattan and surrounding areas. With the addition of new material handling technology, the new facility will have the capacity to sort twice as much volume as the previous facility, doubling from 3,000 to 6,000 conveyable pieces per hour (PPH), significantly boosting throughput and efficiency.

LM: How many employees will work out of these NYC-area facilities? 

DHL: Approximately 450 employees – including agents, management, couriers and more, operate out of DHL Express’ Greater New York facilities, including the new Jersey City service center and locations in Long Island City, Hauppauge, Brooklyn, and the Bronx.

LM: What are the main competitive advantages, or benefits, of this news, from a DHL perspective?

DHL: This investment reinforces DHL Express’ commitment to providing world-class service and ensures we have the right infrastructure in place to support our customers’ growing needs for years to come. It strengthens our regional network by optimizing how shipment volumes are distributed across facilities, reducing bottlenecks, and improving overall service reliability.

Additionally, we’re enhancing our air network connectivity. DHL Express’ global hub in Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky (CVG) will now connect directly to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), bringing aircraft operations closer to the new Jersey City service center. Meanwhile, our Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Long Island facilities will continue to operate via JFK Airport. This strategic alignment will shorten transit times, improve on-time performance, and ensure our customers continue receiving the fastest, most reliable international delivery service possible.

SupplyChain24/7 Editorial Director Andy Gray contributed to this report.