Singapore Government Press Release
Media Division, Ministry of Information and The Arts,
MITA Building, 140 Hill Street, 2^nd Storey, Singapore 179369
Tel: 837-9666

Ladies and Gentlemen

I am very happy to be here today with all of you, for the official opening of UPS House.

The logistics and supply chain management, or SCM, industry is undergoing a major transformation. With intense global competition, companies are increasingly outsourcing their supply chain functions and demanding faster time-to-market. They are also requiring supply chain solutions in a global context and scale. The challenge for logistics players, therefore, is to provide global solutions to achieve sterling delivery performance while maintaining minimal inventories. As such, logistics companies need to offer a comprehensive range of integrated logistics solutions, leverage on the latest technologies and build a global presence through organic expansion or alliances.

In Singapore, logistics is a key industry in our overall economy. A vibrant logistics industry enhances Singapore as an international business hub. Efficient logistics services also help boost the competitiveness of other industries in the economy.

We are therefore committed to providing a total logistics environment for logistics companies. Today, our physical and IT infrastructure are well equipped to meet the new challenges in the logistics industry. To provide for further specialisation, we have recently added to the physical infrastructure outlay, with the addition of the chemical logistics hub on Jurong Island and the Airport Logistics Park at Changi Airport.

It is also important to develop the soft infrastructure, like manpower capabilities, to support the growth of the logistics industry. NUS and the Georgia Institute of Technology of the US recently collaborated to establish the Logistics Institute - Asia Pacific. This institute will help groom a new generation of highly skilled logistics professionals and be a logistics think-tank in the Asia-Pacific. Logistics players in the region can now look forward to more research and development support to generate innovative SCM solutions.

Our total logistics environment is further enhanced by the support of world-class logistics players. With both the hard and soft infrastructure in place, Singapore has attracted leading global third-party logistics players, or 3PLs, to engage in high value-added and knowledge-intensive activities. Such activities go beyond the physical processing and movement of goods to include product configuration, repairs, trade financing, SCM consulting, IT support and data centres, call centres and e-commerce fulfilment.

UPS is one such global company. For many years, UPS and UPS Logistics Group have sited their Asia-Pacific HQ in Singapore. Today, UPS in Singapore is not simply an express delivery company. UPS has evolved into a world-class logistics leader in integrated logistics services, employing almost 800 people in Singapore alone.

This facility, established in spite of the economic slowdown, reflects UPS’s vote of confidence and commitment to Singapore. This S$38 million facility is the first UPS-built and owned facility in Singapore and Asia. Comprising the UPS Singapore Office, UPS’s Asia-Pacific headquarters, as well as a 70-vehicle Operations Centre, it will serve as the company’s nerve centre. There is no doubt that the synergies derived from this new facility will further boost UPS’s strong growth in the region.

The establishment of this facility is an important milestone, both for Singapore and UPS. It will strengthen the presence of UPS in the Asia-Pacific and enhance Singapore’s position as a leading integrated logistics and supply chain management hub in Asia.

Let me end by congratulating the management and staff of UPS on the official opening of the UPS House. I wish the company and the staff every success in the years ahead. With that, it is now my pleasure to declare UPS House officially open.

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