Dayton, Ohio- Congressman Mike Turner (OH-03) calls on DHL to work with the Wilmington community after their decision to abandon the North American hub at the Wilmington Airpark. DHL decided to cut 9,500 jobs after accepting hundreds of millions in incentives from the State of Ohio and Clinton County to come to Wilmington in 2004. The company announced this morning that they plan to eliminate their domestic shipping operations in the United States.
“While our community is looking to the future, DHL must be held accountable for its responsibility to their workforce and to our community,” Congressman Turner said. “We have a great asset in the Airpark and a dedicated and experienced workforce here in Wilmington. We must immediately begin to build on this asset for our future economic success.”
“While DHL’s decision to cease their domestic operations in the United States is unfortunate, our community has worked to prepare itself for this possibility for months. Our region’s leaders and elected officials must continue to work together on this vital issue. It is imperative that the workers and families at this facility receive full severance packages and have access to retraining benefits. We must also work with DHL on the reuse of the Wilmington Airpark. I am committed to making sure every federal resource is available to assist the community in its transition.”
Congressman Turner has successfully advocated for federal funding to establish an economic plan for the entire region that looks for new uses for the Wilmington Airpark.