Conservative MP Mark Pawsey has visited the Hermes Parcel Hub at Rugby Gateway (Friday 16th) to see its latest expansion in operation, two years after he officially opened the £31m facility, which is the biggest of its kind in the UK.
The Hermes team gave the MP for Rugby a tour of facility, which has a significantly boosted capacity for the upcoming peak season with the completion of a third sortation tier.
This gives the hub the capability to process 1.35 million parcels each day, enhancing existing output by 40% and ensuring it will continue to comfortably handle rising volumes of parcels driven by the growth of online shopping in the UK and overseas. The investment has also boosted jobs at the site by a third.
The tour was then followed by discussions around Hermes’ overall business performance which has seen double digit growth over the past few years. The company expects to successfully deliver a record 390 million parcels this year.
Sustainability was also on the agenda as Hermes demonstrated how it is pioneering alternative low carbon fuels to slash emissions, looking to expand its electric fleet outside of London and planning to trial hydrogen tractor units next year.
Mark Pawsey MP said: “Re-visiting Hermes’ Rugby Hub was a great opportunity to see the operational expansion ahead of the firm’s busiest period. It’s encouraging to see how the business is continually investing in our region, its employees and in greener, more efficient vehicles as it grows.”
Craig Ryder, Hub General Manager at Hermes, led the tour. He said: “We very much appreciate that Mr Pawsey has taken the time to visit us for an update on both this site and our broader operations. We are committed to supporting the local community and economy both now and in the future.”
