SEKO announces plans for new UK-based airfreight and omni-parcel services facility

Chicago-based third-party logistics (3PL) services provider SEKO Logistics recently announced it is investing in a new flagship airfreight and omni-parcel services facility in close proximity to London Heathrow airport.

The company said that this investment is a reflection of its confidence in the “continued cross-border growth of British bands globally,” adding that revenues in the UK are expected to surpass $100 million for the first time and that the Heathrow expansion received government approval in June, as part of the UK’s objective to double its export business to $1 trillion by 2020.

The 22,000 square-foot location, which is located in Egham, is a key part of SEKO’s $5 million investment to support its customers’ growing international shipment volumes, including the rapid expansion of pureplay e-tailer business from the UK to Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. Services provided by SEKO at this new facility include fulfillment, forwarding, cross-border, e-commerce and IT.   

“We are growing organically mainly on the strength of existing customer recommendations as well as our specialist expertise, expanding global footprint and reputation for helping British companies to quickly access the lucrative cross-border e-commerce space, which has been our biggest growth area in the past 2-3 years,” said Keith O’Brien, SEKO’s Chief Operating Officer – EMEA, in a statement. “This will continue because of the international demand for British brands. Our decision to invest in this new facility close to Heathrow will make the cross-border delivery process even easier for our customers.”

SEKO Vice President of Marketing Brian Bourke told LM that this investment is in direct response to global cross border e-commerce growth demand and growth in the company’s airfreight business in the UK.

“We were also pleased to hear of the news finally on the expansion of Heathrow of course,” he said. “With our own facility near Heathrow, we are able to more closely execute the scanning and labeling as well as deconsolidation of airfreight containers and parcels.  When it comes to airfreight and especially e-commerce, every minute counts.”

SEKO will employ 52 staffers at this location, mostly in account management, operations, airfreight and client solutions, according to Bourke.

SEKO opened its first UK location in 2003 and now operates eight facilities, including a 225,000 square-foot logistics center in Milton Keynes from where it delivers a full range of omnichannel services for global order fulfillment, delivery management, returns solutions and ecommerce for leading brands, the company said.  And it added that outside of the U.S, the UK is now the largest global market in its logistics network comprised of more than 120 offices in more than 40 countries. The UK is currently the third largest e-commerce market in the world, with 46% of UK SMEs exporting and receiving revenue from overseas, it said.

“While we expanded into Milton Keynes with a state-of-the-art facility for long term warehousing and ecommerce fulfillment and value added services, this facility near Heathrow will allow us to better compete on transit times and managing service for our growing cross border e-commerce and international airfreight clients both in the UK as well as globally,” explained Bourke. “Our omni-parcel software that facilitates cross border e-commerce is a differentiator in the market, and having our own staff and facilities to facilitate and manage our cross border operations insures that we are able to better control our own destiny at LHR. This is part of a global strategy in ‘A’ markets to expand for faster growth in cross border and airfreight logistics solutions.  The UK is a key market for us globally as well.”