Ontario Construction News staff writer
Purolator officially opened its new 443,084 sq. ft. National Hub last week – its largest and most technologically advanced sortation facility.
Located near several major highways in Toronto, the National Hub triples capacity of Purolator’s former Ontario sortation facility and increases its network capabilities through new world-class automation and advanced scanning and sorting technology.
“For over 60 years, Canadians from coast to coast have depended on Purolator. Following the sharp rise in e-commerce and two years of unprecedented growth, the new state-of-the-art National Hub is opening at a crucial time,” said John Ferguson, president and CEO, Purolator.
“Pivoting off our history of innovation, our investment in this infrastructure and new technology is a game-changer. It provides greater flexibility to quickly move goods across the country to enable businesses and services in all sectors of the economy to thrive.”
Pomerleau broke ground on the facility in May 2020, during the first wave of the pandemic. When operating at full capacity, it will process up to 70,000 parcels per hour, tripling the capacity of the previous facility. The new hub also includes innovative technology that can unload a trailer in under 10 minutes or up to 12,000 parcels per hour – 10 times the amount possible through manual efforts.
The company integrated global industry best practices and technology, increased safety features, such as guard rails and sensors, and installed ergonomic equipment to reduce the risk of physical injury. Other features include a dedicated multi-faith space, a 6,500 sq. ft. cafeteria and patio, a much larger wellness room and a training centre that is double the size of the previous location.