DHL Jamaica Operations Manager Gary Scott (left) and DHL Country Manager Steve Garside at the official opening of DHL's new gateway warehouse at the Norman Manley International Airport, Kingston, on March 14, as part of the company's 20th anniversary celebrations. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer

DHL Jamaica Limited is investing some US$250,000 ($17.5 million) in expanded office and operational space in the Freeport area of Montego Bay, at the same time that it is spreading its wings in Kingston.

DHL Country Manager Steve Garside called it an investment in "expansion for growth and future growth".

The company opened what it refers to as a new 'gateway' in Kingston last Friday, which will operate from leased space at the Queen's Warehouse complex, Norman Manley International Airport.

DHL's MoBay operations, meantime, is to be relocated from Queen's Drive and the airport to one space at Sunset Boulevard at the opposite end of the tourist city.

Its new Freeport base covers 23,000 square feet of leased space, says commercial manager Tastey Blackman.

DHL Jamaica handles some 35,000 pieces per month, the company said.

Garside said on Monday that DHL Jamaica was positioning to take greater advantage of one of its chief markets in the resort capital - tourists who ship products - and hotels.

Increasing its visibility

Station manager for DHL in Montego Bay, Grace Robinson, believes that the new location would help DHL to increase its "visibility" and more importantly "profitability".

"I would say 70 per cent of what we do comes from tourism," said Robinson, referring to the Mobay operation.

Garside said that much of DHL's business comes from both hotels importing material and goods to aid in their operations, and also from tourists seeking to ship back souvenirs.

"We import goods for the hotels to support the tourism industry," Garside said by phone from Miami.

"It would be fair to say it is a good size of our business, but we also do other business with industry."

DHL will be combining its front office, currently located on Queens Drive, and its shipping operations inside the domestic terminal of the Sangster International Airport to the new location on 14 Sunset Boulevard.

DHL has been in Jamaica for 20 years and has operated in Montego Bay for 17.

DHL Jamaica is owned by DHL Express, whose operations span 220 markets, delivering 1.5 billion shipments to 120,000 destinations worldwide.

richard.deane@gleanerjm.com