Deutsche Post DHL and the Clinton County Port Authority (CCPA) have announced a preliminary agreement for the donation of DHL’s former US express hub to the local community of Wilmington, Ohio for redevelopment and future use of the site as an airport/commerce park.

“With the donation, we will close a challenging chapter in our company’s history,” said Frank Appel, CEO of Deutsche Post DHL. “Ending operations in Wilmington was a difficult decision to make, but in the end, it helped us create a financially and operationally sound basis for our entire US express business, and thus safeguard employment for thousands throughout the country.

In 2008, DHL restructured its US express business to stem losses and moved to a sole focus on its international offerings which eliminated the need to maintain the US$310 million Air Park in Wilmington. In late August of 2009, DHL shifted the operations to its principal hub at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport (CVG) which made some 8,000 jobs redundant at the Wilmington facility.