C.H. Robinson, one of the world’s largest logistics providers, has signed a seven-year lease for a 235,000-square-foot commercial office building and warehouse in the Chicago area.

The facility, at 333 Howard Avenue in Des Plaines, will employ about 150 and will open in early 2016.

“Chicago is one of the most important markets in our global shipping network, thanks to its connectivity to Class I rail, ocean shipping, truck transportation and one of the world’s leading airports,” said Mike Short, president of Global Forwarding, C.H. Robinson. “This move will enable our customers to have better access to these transportation options.”

The Des Plaines deal comes on the heels of the company’s announcement that it will build a three-story, 207,000-square-foot office building in Lincoln Park that will house more than 1,000 employees.

C.H. Robinson says it is the largest logistics company in Chicago and will celebrate its 100th anniversary of operations in the city next year. The company has roughly doubled its Chicago-based headcount since 2005, and its nearly 2,000 Chicago employees account for almost 15% of its global workforce.

The new facility will serve as a major hub for both North American and international freight consolidation operations.

“We signed our first lease for a Chicago-based freight consolidation facility 10 years ago, and that building was 30,000 square feet,” said Eric Shover, vice president of North America global forwarding, C.H. Robinson. “The fact that we just leased a facility with 235,000 square feet speaks to the immense growth we’ve been able to achieve in Chicago over the past decade, and the aggressive plans we have for the future.”

The Des Plaines facility will also serve as C.H. Robinson’s in-house TSA Certified Cargo Screening facility (CCSF). This new facility will include 36,726 square feet of warehouse space equipped with state of the art screening technology. The TSA approved C.H. Robinson as a CCSF in April 2012. Since then, C.H. Robinson has provided a dedicated air freight screening team which ensures expeditious service to shippers. In addition, the facility is tied directly to Navisphere, the company’s global technology platform, allowing customers to track their freight before, during, and after the screening process.