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DHL moving 830 more jobs from Wilmington

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In this Dec. 9, 2008 file photo, a DHL cargo plane sits near the control tower at a DHL air shipping hub in Wilmington, Ohio. The city was devastated when air cargo shipper DHL announced in May it was pulling out, a move expected to lead to the loss of 8,000 jobs at a local air park.

By Thomas Gnau, Staff Writer Updated 7:21 PM Friday, April 17, 2009

On the same day DHL Express announced a decision to return to the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky (CVG) International Airport, the company and Ohio government said talks on DHL’s possible donation of the park to Wilmington will start soon.

DHL’s move means the loss of about 180 full-time and 650 part-time jobs from Wilmington to the Northern Kentucky airport, DHL said Friday, April 17.

In addition, DHL spokesman Jonathan Baker said his company has contacted Ohio government officials to begin talks on a “possible donation” of the Wilmington air park to Wilmington.

Ohio Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher said he hoped those talks start by the first week of May.

“We are already exploring how the air park can be re-used,” Fisher said.

Fisher called DHL’s move to Northern Kentucky “very disappointing.”

“We believe the community of Wilmington was owed the top priority to make sure these jobs and these operations stayed here,” Fisher said.

DHL did not give Ohio a chance to offer DHL financial incentives, Fisher said. He said DHL contacted Kentucky to win incentives there while ignoring overtures from Ohio.

Wilmington Mayor David Raizk again called on DHL to donate the air park to Wilmington.

Raizk said about 3,000 people today work at the air park. He estimated the park would lose “at least half of those, maybe more” as a result of DHL’s move.

The mayor said DHL is offering its employees jobs at CVG and is encouraging ABX employees to apply for positions, too.

John Graber, president of ABX Air (Air Transport Services Group Inc.), said ABX intends to continue operating from Wilmington. DHL has employed two airlines, ABX Air and ASTAR Air Cargo, to fly its packages nationwide from Wilmington. ABX also runs the hub for DHL and sorts cargo.

Also announced Friday: UPS Inc. said talks with DHL about carrying some of its air cargo have ended. It was the initial announcement of those talks last May that began the erosion of jobs from the Wilmington facility.

DHL decided in 2004 to consolidate its air freight operations from CVG to Wilmington, with the help of incentives from Ohio.

DHL said the movement of shipping volumes to Kentucky “is expected to be complete by mid- to late summer.” The DHL Air Park in Wilmington will continue to operate through that transition, the company said.

Baker acknowledged that once the transition is complete, DHL will have no operations in Wilmington.

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