FedEx Express has opened new gateway facility in Clark, Pampanga to support the boom in e-commerce activities amid the COVID-19 pandemic and in time for the upcoming peak season in shipping volumes during the Christmas season.
Kawal Preet, president of the Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa (AMEA) region at FedEx, said the subsidiary of one of the world’s largest express transportation companies is focused on optimizing its air and ground network to meet evolving customer needs.
“Plans for the Clark Gateway have been in place since before the demand for e-commerce soared. With a finger on the pulse of global trade, we made this strategic investment to enhance connectivity and support for Philippine businesses venturing into international markets,” Preet said.
Equipped with state-of-the-art technology, the $30-million 17,000-square-meter facility enables faster processing with the capability to sort 9,000 parcels per hour.
The facility’s expansive dedicated freight-handling area spans 630 square meters and supports the growing e-commerce demand of bulk shipments and large items.
The new Clark gateway also features a state-of-the-art cold storage facility for varying temperature-sensitive shipments. One unit has storage temperature capabilities ranging from -20°C to 5°C or -4°F to 41°F, appropriate for storing vaccines, fresh produce, and raw products. Two other units have storage temperature of 5°C to 20°C or 23°F to 68°F, appropriate for keeping vegetables and dry foods such as canned goods.
These units help retain the freshness of products and maximize their shelf life.
In November 2019, Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez told visiting journalists in Washington DC that FedEx was reestablishing its presence in the Philippines via a new gateway facility in Clark. He said FedEx was planning to return to the Philippines “in a bigger scale” via the Clark international airport in Pampanga.
The American logistics giant established its presence in the Philippines through the launch of the FedEx AsiaOne intra-Asia service with the opening of a hub at the Subic Bay freeport and special economic zone in 1995.
However in 2005, FedEx announced it was abandoning its Asia Pacific hub at the former US naval base in Zambales and would transfer to the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in China with a total investment of $150 million.
The pull out from the Philippines was completed in June 2009.