UPS Healthcare has unveiled their newest cold chain and packaging centre in Louisville, Kentucky, located on the UPS Healthcare campus near the Worldport global air hub.
Combined with ongoing expansion throughout Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, UPS Healthcare continues to build the world’s most sophisticated healthcare logistics capabilities. The aim is to bring unprecedented capabilities to global healthcare logistics customers.
The newest facility named ‘Cold Chain Packaging Centre of Excellence’ is the company’s first US-based logistics facility to offer reusable cold chain packaging options for customers, utilising the entire life cycle of temperature-controlled packages and contributing to a circular economy.
“Not only does the new facility expand our offerings for cold chain logistics, but the reusable packaging cuts down on single-use waste, creating more sustainable options and driving significant cost savings for our customers,” said Laura Lane, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, who also has responsibility for UPS’s sustainability efforts.
The new Louisville facility joins existing cold chain facilities around the world and is part of an ongoing, aggressive strategy by UPS Healthcare to expand its global footprint. The expansions bring increased flexibility and efficiency to customers, as well as unmatched cold chain capabilities.
“Our decades of experience create the perfect foundation for continued investment in capabilities and infrastructure around the world,” said Kate Gutmann, Chief Sales and Solutions Officer and Executive Vice President, UPS Global Healthcare.
“UPS Healthcare is on a mission to provide our customers with even higher performance, greater cost efficiencies, and more sustainable shipping options.”
UPS’s success with COVID-19 vaccine delivery is creating long-term value in the future delivery of new drugs, especially biologics. The company’s temperature-controlled facilities are designed to handle biologically derived drugs, such as vaccines, at any temperature. According to the Biopharma Cold Chain Sourcebook, cold chain trends show 48 per cent expected growth between 2018 and 2024 for medicines that require at least 2 to 80C storage and shipping.
“We are building on our expertise and leadership displayed throughout the pandemic by continuing to develop new capabilities in cold chain logistics around the world,” said Wes Wheeler, President, UPS Healthcare.
“With new facilities and capabilities, UPS Healthcare is better positioned to safely manage the growing number of temperature-sensitive biologic drugs, as well as cell and gene treatments currently in development.”
The overall market for cold chain services (packaging, transportation, and data services) is expected to significantly accelerate over the next three years, growing up to 24 per cent by 2024, after posting a 10 per cent increase from 2019 to 2020. Against this backdrop, UPS Healthcare’s Cold Chain expertise is critical for the delivery of future medicines supporting the growing needs of customers around the world.
