DHL Supply Chain Supports UK Retailer’s Expansion

First Logistics Center at 283. Image courtesy of First Industrial Realty Trust

DHL Supply Chain will provide U.K.-based fashion retailer Boohoo warehousing and logistics services at a 1.1 million-square-foot industrial facility in Elizabethtown, Pa.

DHL’s support will allow the retailer to offer next-day service to the New York City metro region, a key customer area for the fashion brand.

Earlier this month, First Industrial Realty Trust has announced its long-term lease with Boohoo, which will fully occupy the first phase of First Logistics Center at 283.

The U.K. fashion retailer’s move-in is expected in early 2023. Located at 2771 North Market St., the facility will be Boohoo’s first U.S. operated distribution center, expected to bring 400 jobs to the area. A JLL team represented First Industrial in the leasing efforts.

First Industrial’s full-building prelease follows the firm’s recent lease by International Vitamin Corp. of its 180,171-square-foot facility in Philadelphia.

The initial phase of First Logistics Center at 283 was completed in 2022, and covers a 93.78-acre lot, according to CommercialEdge data. The building is the first of a planned two-building development, as First Industrial is constructing an additional 700,000 square-foot facility expected to open in the second quarter of 2023. Blue Rock Construction and Joseph V. Belluccia, AIA served as the building’s general contractor and architect, respectively. Built with the emerging e-commerce environment in mind, the facility is expected to achieve LEED-certification. It will feature 40-foot clear heights and energy-efficient lighting fixtures.

DHL delivers

DHL plans to integrate several automation-based logistics solutions into its operations at the facility, including an Automated Storage and Retrieval System and a high-speed pouch sorting machine. The firm also plans to hire 1,000 associates in its first year working on behalf of Boohoo, expecting to bring the number up to 2,500 employees over the next three years. Amenities will include a canteen, a fitness center, as well as recruiting and training offices. Situated along Pennsylvania Route 230, the facility is located 15 miles south of Harrisburg, and is 8 miles from the city’s airport, as well as FedEx and UPS package depots.

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The JLL team representing First Industrial was led by Vice Chairman Paul Torosian, Executive Managing Director Jeff Lockard and Associate Vice President Kyle Lockard.