PA Chamber President and CEO Luke Bernstein attended the Grand Opening of UPS’ new, state-of-the-art 24/7 East Zone Regional Hub in Harrisburg last Wednesday and presented the company with honors recognizing its substantial investment into Pennsylvania’s economy.
Strategically located within a day’s drive of nearly two-thirds of the major population centers in the United States, UPS’ Harrisburg hub is the fourth-largest hub in the company’s network.
The new 775,000 square-foot facility, now fully operational, employs 1,700 people and is equipped with advanced automation and other innovations that enable it to process more than one million packages per day.
As reported by PennLive:
“Inside the massive facility with high ceilings sits conveyors processing packages, which go through camera tunnels that will scan the packages. That in turn communicates with the system to tell that package where to go, ultimately heading to an individual trailer that will take it to its final destination.”
Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Rick Siger also attended and spoke during the event. “The economic impact of this project is massive,” he said. “When this project was first announced a few years ago, it was part of a statewide investment by UPS of about $1.4 billion into their operation.”
Following the event, Bernstein spoke to the board of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber, where he emphasized the important partnerships that bolster pro-business advocacy across the state.
Bernstein recognized Harrisburg Regional Chamber CEO Ryan Unger and his team for their tireless work promoting economic growth in the region and fighting for policies that will strengthen business development in central Pennsylvania.
Bernstein also outlined the PA Chamber’s key legislative priorities for the fall session: tax reform, permitting reform, and workforce development. Together, these initiatives constitute a comprehensive framework for making Pennsylvania a more competitive state for business, which he says is critical to attracting additional investment and jobs into the Commonwealth.