The Birmingham Service Centre of DHL Express in the UK has become the 300th facility worldwide to be awarded the Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA) security certification.
DHL said the independent recognition confirms that DHL Express “has implemented the highest security standards for transporting shipments through the supply chain”. This milestone for the DHL Express global network demonstrates the company’s commitment and tireless efforts to meet the highest TAPA Freight Security Requirements (FSR) worldwide.
DHL Express head of global security, Adrian Whelan said: “Operating in more than 220 countries and territories, DHL Express is the most international company in the world, and security has always been a top priority for us.
“Although we always had our own internal security standards for many years, we are convinced that it is important to have security standards independently verified and certified, mainly for our customers, so that they know their valuable shipments are in safe hands.
“Since certifying the first facility which was W Penang Gateway in Malaysia in 2001, we are now very proud to complete the certification of the 300th facility.”
And he added: “It is all about the customer and their needs – security is not a nice to have, it is a must have!”
The TAPA certification is one of the most rigorous logistics and supply chain security certifications. This independently audited certification is widely respected as the leading security standard in this sector, and focuses on the way in which high-value goods are handled, warehoused and transported.
With 300 certified TAPA Level A and B sites, DHL Express has the most number of TAPA certified facilities. The accredited facilities now span 82 countries, with 96 DHL Express facilities located in Europe, 87 in Asia-Pacific, 25 in China, 43 in the Americas, 30 in Sub Saharan Africa and there were 19 certificates obtained in the Middle East and North Africa.
TAPA EMEA chairman, Thorsten Neumann said: “They clearly recognise our Facility Security Requirements as the leading supply chain security standard and the most effective way to protect their customers’ goods. More and more customers are asking their logistics partners if their facilities are TAPA certified because it is the security benchmark they trust.
“This is why the level of TAPA certifications in the EMEA region is at its highest-ever level in our 20-year history and growing every month. We expect to see more companies following the example set by DHL Express.”
