New Cargo Facility Serves as DHL’s Largest Air Gateway for Exports in the World; New Investments at O’Hare Providing For the Most Usable Square Footage for Cargo Operations of Any Gateway Passenger Airport in North America.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel joined executives today from DHL Global Forwarding and Aeroterm in a ribbon cutting ceremony in celebration of the completion of DHL’s new $35 million facility at O’Hare International Airport.

Funded and developed by Aeroterm, the facility is the largest DHL Global Forwarding building in its worldwide network, covering 24 acres. The three-story building has 491,000-square-feet of office and warehouse space. The development of this new facility is a direct result of the Mayor’s efforts to make Chicago a national leader in transportation, distribution and logistics through the Plan for Economic Growth and Jobs.

“O'Hare is one of our City's key economic engines and this new cargo center is a testament to Chicago’s burgeoning growth, one that can offer local businesses of all sizes a gateway to trade expansion within the U.S. and abroad,” said Mayor Emanuel. “The City of Chicago is proud to partner with businesses like DHL that want to invest in our community by adding new jobs, promoting commerce and further positioning the city as a leading cargo hub.”

The building took one year to build and will house 500 employees with DHL adding 75 new employees to its Chicago workforce in the subsequent years. Some of the industries that will be serviced by the DHL facility include chemicals, perishables, automotive, energy, construction and retail.

“This inauguration represents an important moment in DHL’s history because it is the culmination of a meticulously planned facility that will further solidify our market leadership position in the logistics industry, and will offer all the necessary features and services to help our customers grow,” said Christoph Remund, CEO for DHL Global Forwarding, U.S.

The building contains two temperature controlled chambers that together measure close to 10,000 square-feet and a 999 square-foot ambient receiving area, with variable temperature capabilities to process any pharmaceutical, biotech or medical devices that require a temperature-controlled environment and two dedicated truck docks.

“We are honored to have partnered with DHL Global Forwarding and the City of Chicago to deliver DHL’s new home in Chicago. With this facility’s state-of-the-art attributes, green initiatives and expansion capability, we have addressed DHL Global Forwarding’s real estate and operating needs for decades to come.” stated Erin Gruver, Executive Vice President for Aeroterm. “Developing DHL’s largest warehouse under the accelerated construction schedule is a true testament to the hard work and commitment of each organization’s dedicated team”

This new DHL facility along with the addition of Aeroterm's other Northeast Cargo development underway, brings O'Hare's total on-airport cargo facility square feet to approximately 4 million usable square feet— The most usable square feet for cargo of any gateway passenger airport in North America.

The building is currently in the process of obtaining Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification and was designed with many environmentally friendly interior features, such as energy-efficient lighting fixtures, high efficiency water fixture and construction using low emitting indoor air contaminants. The exterior has several sustainable features, such as landscaping with native, drought-tolerant plants, bicycle storage, preferred parking for carpool/vanpool vehicles and for low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles, among others.