FedEx Ground opened a new automated distribution center in McCook, Illinois, July 20.
The McCook facility is one of nine FedEx Ground automated satellites that complement the company's existing network of 28 U S hubs by enabling more direct loading of packages and faster processing.
The new terminal is part of a network expansion plan that includes the addition of nine hubs and the relocation or expansion of more than 290 pickup and delivery terminals through 2010.
The nationwide expansion will boost the company's current average daily pickup capacity by nearly 70% over the next five years. This year, FedEx Ground opened new hubs in the metro areas of Cincinnati, Dallas and Hagerstown, Md. A fourth new hub, under construction near Memphis, will begin operations in 2006.
The new 156,000 square-foot facility in McCook is more than five times the size of the terminal it replaces and houses a workforce of more than 300 employees and independent contractors, including more than 100 new positions.