UPS today announced a significant expansion of its global healthcare distribution facilitynetwork, to accommodate continued rapid growth in its healthcare business. Driven by expanding
relationships with healthcare companies and an increasing trend toward outsourcing, the newfacilities in Asia, Europe, Canada and the United States bring the total number of global UPShealthcare-dedicated facilities to 30.The new facilities are located in Singapore; Venlo, the Netherlands; Burlington, Canada; andLouisville, US, and bring the total amount of UPS dedicated healthcare distribution space to morethan 371,600 sqm. The facilities are specially designed to meet the needs of pharmaceutical,biotech and medical device companies and are configured to help manufacturers meet stringent andoften-complex regulatory requirements for healthcare products, provide flexibility for a changingbusiness environment and serve an increasingly global customer base.
With an influx of biologics and temperature-sensitive healthcare products coming into themarketplace, UPS’s healthcare facilities also include temperature sensitive capabilities to handlethe specialised storage and distribution needs of these high-value products.
Bill Hook, vice president of global strategy for UPS Healthcare Logistics said: “We are seeingincreased demand from healthcare manufacturers wanting more agile supply chains. This clearindustry trend is driving companies to look for more global solutions and deeper supply chainpartnerships. We have a robust pipeline of healthcare business and are continuing to invest in thisindustry to meet the fast-evolving needs of our global healthcare customers.”
UPS’s new healthcare operation in Singapore is due to open in the late second quarter of thisyear, and will consist of a 4,000 sqm regional distribution facility to serve the increasing numberof healthcare companies that are locating manufacturing operations in Asia. It will serve as animport-export facility with an end-of-runway location to ensure speed to market. Capabilities willinclude cold chain capacity for products requiring temperature-sensitive storage and distribution,as well as postponement services such as re-labelling and kitting.
The Venlo facility, also scheduled to open during the second quarter, will be the company’ssecond location in the Netherlands. The 22,800 sqm facility is being added after UPS’s firstfacility in Roermond sold to capacity in less than nine months, demonstrating a surge in demand forhealthcare distribution services in Europe. Strategically located near UPS’s European air hub inCologne, Germany, this fully compliant facility will include controlled environments fortemperature-sensitive storage and distribution.
The 16,400 sqm new Burlington facility marks the 10th dedicated healthcare facility inCanada. It is the second such facility at UPS’s Burlington, Ontario, logistics campus, which islocated near three major international airports. Set to open in the second quarter, the Burlingtonfacility is designed to meet all regulatory compliance and quality assurance needs of healthcareproducts. The facility will provide additional capacity to the current network of dedicatedhealthcare sites strategically located to serve the Canadian market.
The newest healthcare facility in Louisville, US, will open in the fourth quarter of 2011 and ispart of the company’s existing healthcare campus totalling over 92,900 sqm. The new building isstrategically located near UPS’s Worldport global air hub to provide next-day delivery for airshipment orders received as late as 11 pm, as well as UPS ground deliveries within two days or lessto 70% of US locations. This 13,400 sqm facility also will include temperature sensitive and vaultstorage capabilities.
