PostNL Pharma & Care, the rebranded trans-o-flex unit, has introduced the first of 51conditioned trucks for distribution of pharmaceutical products in Belgium and claims to be ready
for the introduction of the new EU guidelines on ‘Good Distribution Practice’ (GDP).Since its acquisition of trans-o-flex Belgium in 2012, PostNL Parcels has invested severalmillion euros to prepare for the new guidelines by purchasing 46 trucks of the chassis type, fivesemi-trailer trucks, seven trailers and seven semi-trailers with conditioned cargo space. They willbecome operational in the next three months. PostNL also invested in security, IT systems forrecording temperature and cooling facilities on site in Turnhout, northern Belgium. In addition,the company’s staff was trained with regard to GDP, hygiene and safety.
The company said it can distribute any kind of medicine because it fully complies with the GDPguidelines. PostNL Parcel offers delivery of complete pallets, large or small cargo shipments orindividual parcels in one single route both unconditioned, between 2-8° C and 15-25° C which itclaimed is unique in the Belgian market.
With the acquisition of trans-o-flex’s loss-making local activities in Belgium and theNetherlands from Austrian Post for an undisclosed sum in March last year, PostNL Parcels expandedits B2B operations in the two countries. It thus joined the Eurodis network taking over the twocompanies’ 7.2% shareholding in the partner network. In 2011, trans-o-flex Netherlands and Belgiumreached combined revenues of approximately €50 million.
The acquisition fitted PostNL’s strategy of strengthening its presence in the Benelux market forconsolidated parcels by providing the Dutch postal group with a strong foothold in the Belgian B2Bmarket, including a leading capacity in the pharma market. Shortly after the acquisition,trans-o-flex Belgium won a contract extension with the Belgian healthcare company Omega Pharma foranother three years. The Dutch trans-o-flex activities added parcel and pallet volumes to PostNLParcels’ existing network and commercial competences in the Pharma and Consumer Electronicsvertical markets.
