Local MP Grant Shapps has formally opened Parcelforce Worldwide’s new South East Processing Centre (SEPC) in Hatfield, which will create over 60 new jobs in the local area.
The new 60,000 sq. ft processing centre is located in Hatfield Business Park, and with a new automated parcel handling system, is capable of processing 50,000 parcels a night, rising to 60,000 in peak periods. The new centre will also help to reduce Parcelforce Worldwide’s carbon footprint for parcels that can be processed locally within the south east, rather than having to be transported to a central processing facility.
During the opening, Grant received a tour of the site and met with Parcelforce workers ,who demonstrated the fast-paced work they do to ensure each parcel is processed as quickly and safely as possible.
Parcelforce Worldwide, said “The new South East Processing Centre is central to Parcelforce Worldwide’s continued investment in innovation, technology and the growth of our business. We are pushing the boundaries of automation with the technology we have installed, supporting the growing demands and the increasing requirements of our customers. It will enable us to handle even more parcels, allowing us to drive up our customer experience and continue to maintain our consistently high end-to-end quality nationwide, all the year round including Christmas.”
Following the official unveiling, Grant commented “It’s a great privilege to have been asked to open this new processing centre. As soon as you enter the building, it is clear that Parcelforce have made a sizeable investment in area, and I have no doubt that by locating this fast-operating site in Hatfield, they will be able deliver packages across the region far more efficiently.
“Importantly though, the high levels of automation in the site, have not come at the expense of local jobs. The processing centre will in fact create over 60 new local jobs, ranging from warehouse operatives to drivers. I do therefore believe that Parcelforce should be commended for this fantastic new development.”
