Singapore will be home to one of Toll Global Logistics' biggest hubs in the Asia-Pacific region, following the ground-breaking ceremony of the Toll City warehouse facility in Tuas yesterday.
When completed in mid-2017, the $228-million complex will have a floor area of 100,000 sq m and a state-of-the-art automated system to boost productivity. Standing at 82m tall, it will be high enough to fit Changi Airport's control tower.
It will be one of the largest and the most technologically advanced logistics hubs in Singapore, said Toll Global Logistics chief executive Chris Pearce.
He added that the complex will serve as a model for the company's future logistics facilities.
Toll City is expected to benefit from its location near the future Tuas Port, the developing Jurong region and nearby transportation links to Malaysia.
When asked about the greatest challenge Toll City would face in Singapore, Mr Pearce highlighted the labour shortage.
He said Toll City will overcome this through high levels of automation and training employees with its accredited in-house courses, which are tied in with the national SkillsFuture scheme.
"Toll City will demand a new Singapore logistician, one who has the intellectual agility to deal with decision-making, new processes and practices and the omnipresent pace of changing technology."
When fully running, the hub is expected to employ about 250 workers, said Mr Pearce.
Guest of honour Teo Ser Luck, who is the Minister of State for Trade and Industry , noted that Toll City would add to Singapore's logistics industry, which employs more than 188,000 staff and contributes 7 per cent to the national economy.
He said: "Toll City is one of Toll's largest facility investments in Asia.
"It is testament to Toll's confidence in Singapore as a choice location for third-party logistics providers to support their clients' growth in Asia and beyond."
Praising Toll, a unit of Japan Post, for its efforts in training Singaporeans, Mr Teo added: "I would like to encourage other companies to come forward as well, to be part of this effort to build a stronger workforce to take Singapore forward."
