GLS is building a new hub in Jihlava in the Czech Republic. The capacities in the country will be significantly expanded and GLS also strengthens its European network.

GLS Czech Republic's new hub in Jihlava is expected to replace the existing nearby distribution centre in October 2012. After this initial expansion, GLS will immediately be able to process twice as many parcels as before in the new facility. It can subsequently be expanded up to a daily capacity of 120,000 parcels, with up to 68 loading gates. A state-of-the-art sorting system and security technology according to GLS standard round off the facility.

The Jihlava site is to serve as national head office and as both national and international parcel delivery interface. Daily scheduled transports connect Jihlava with the GLS European hub in Neuenstein and with the distribution centres in Austria, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary. With the investment in the new facility, GLS adapts to the continuously growing parcel volume in the trade between Eastern and Western Europe. Around four million euros will be invested in the new building in order to provide GLS’ customers with a high-quality service in the long-term too.

The new facility will also benefit the environment. As part of GLS’s Think-Green sustainability initiative, all new buildings are constructed according to environmental criteria. This also applies to the new facility in Jihlava. GLS uses recyclable materials for the construction. The building is heated with a heat pump, reducing CO2 emissions and operating costs. GLS is also installing energy-saving technologies such as an LED lighting system. To halve drinking water consumption and costs, rain water is collected, stored and used as process water. After its completion, Jihlava will be the twelfth "green" location in the GLS European network.