THE BIG INTERVIEW INVEST IN PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Better public transport is needed to connect workers based in towns and cities with the jobs being created at logistics parks around East Midlands Airport, believes Peter. “We’re pretty much in the centre of
Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire, but the public transport infrastructure isn’t as good as it could be,” he says. “The assumption is people have their own
cars but there’s a lot who don’t, and they need to be able to have easy access to their workplaces, especially for night-time workers – and we have 1,200 people working overnight shifts.” EMA has been compared to a “mini city”,
with about 5,000 people working there at peak times, but it still lacks appropriate connectivity. He points to Germany – where DHL Express’
global hub is located, in Leipzig – as a good example, adding: “Their public transport options outside cities are incredible compared to the UK. “Our country has invested well in transport in
cities with systems like trams, but there’s still a lot of work to be done for out-of-town industries.”
Peter is keen to push the ‘plethora’ of jobs available in the industry
ADAPTING TO THE BREXIT TRANSITION
The nature of trade with Europe has “changed forever” believes Peter – but he believes DHL avoided the worst Brexit disruption by preparing early. After spending four years
preparing by training people and investing in infrastructure, he believes DHL Express has adapted to the transition relatively smoothly. While admitting the last-
minute nature of the EU trade deal didn’t help, Peter says: “That work has borne fruit for us – we recruited more than 200 people at EMA to work on Brexit preparations – because we’ve had very few issues with the movement of goods. “One of the biggest parts of
it was about educating shippers but we did a huge amount of work with our customers around the paperwork. “But the interaction with
Europe is going to change forever and we have to keep a close eye on the future set-up with Northern Ireland so everyone understands the requirements when shipping to there.”
24 business network June 2021
from what was a very manual process, in which people placed packages on belts and would touch items six or seven times as it goes through a facility, to a next- generation automated sorter that removes a lot of this. “Now we handle a shipment two or three times as it
goes through a facility. It’s allowed us to grow into the future.” More expansion is on the way. On the neighbouring
SEGRO Logistics Park East Midlands Gateway, there is a separate warehouse for the DHL Supply Chain arm, which comprises the company’s third-party logistics services. It received planning permission last year for a second 670,000 sq ft building that will take its headcount on the park to 1,100 people by 2025. The DHL Express development, meanwhile, was designed with an expected lifespan that would take it to 2036 but there’s every chance this could be brought forward. After recently reporting its strongest quarter in its
50-year history, DHL Express has also announced it will remodel its East Midlands-based airline, DHL Air UK. An expanded fleet of new B777F aircraft and more B767s will enable it to increase flights between the UK, the Americas region and Asia from next year. “We’ve seen rapid growth since the expansion was
built but as that’s really skyrocketed over the past 15 months, we’re now in the process of evaluating our network around the UK and how to accelerate ourselves into the future. “But what’s clear is the East Midlands will always be
the cornerstone of our UK network, connecting to the rest of the world. “We’re touching 220 countries from the East Midlands every 24 hours. We have seen great growth but that will only continue if we’re able to offer a great service to our customers. The future of logistics is going to evolve, the demands of consumers are going to evolve and companies like DHL need to be at the leading edge so we can continue to support plc and UK economic growth.”
DHL IS WATCHING the East Midlands freeport, which will bring benefits such as tax incentives and
streamlined customs, closely to see whether it could offer support in the future. But even before it was announced in the spring
budget, the company had identified the region’s potential to be a logistics powerhouse. Peter says: “If you look at the way passenger and
cargo airlines operate, the UK is used as a major transit point from the MENA region to the Americas. “That’s where the East Midlands is really important
to us as a critical location for feeding volume across the Atlantic.” Like many in the industry, he’s keen to push the
plethora of jobs available. DHL – a Global Top Employer for seven years running with the Top Employers Institute and second on the World's Best Workplaces list – offers roles in aircraft handling, customer service, couriering, IT, HR and training to name just a few options. But he adds: “There’s no two ways about it – with
the evolution of the logistics industry, it becomes more challenging to find people with the right skills. “At the same time, we’re seen as a good employer
that offers stable jobs, which helps us to find very good talent.” In the past, the logistics industry picked up people
who had lost their jobs as traditional industries like steel and mining disappeared. With the economy again in flux, there could be
similar scenarios as more sectors undergo transition – although Peter recognises perceptions need to change. He adds: “Some people still think logistics is about
passing boxes around and delivering packages. Although those types of jobs exist, we have to create visibility of the other roles we have to demystify the sector. “The skillsets and types of people we’re looking for
have evolved and will continue to do so as 80% of the jobs that will be in the market in 2030 don’t even exist today. “They will be more technical because today’s skills
are a lot different to what they were 10 to 20 years ago. “We’re more than aware of this and need to make sure
we’re looking to the future skillsets that will drive our business – and ultimately the East Midlands – forward.”
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