DHL opens Leipzig pharma centre
Around 3.4 million euros have been invested in the new facility and it has created 30 new jobs. It is responsible for comprehensively managing the transport and warehousing of active and passive air freight shipments.
DHL Global Forwarding recently opened a new logistics center for the pharmaceuticals industry in Leipzig.
The air and ocean freight specialist of Germany’s Deutsche Post DHL said that the facility, located next to Leipzig/Halle airport, serves as a competence centre for the “transport, transport preparation, temporary storage, and transport follow-up of active and passive temperature controlled pharmaceutical products”.
Angelos Orfanos, President, Life Sciences and Healthcare, DHL Customer Solutions & Innovation said, “With the opening of this new life sciences and healthcare competence center we are further expanding our network of temperature controlled stations to support our customers’ global expansion and growth aspirations. Providing quality service to life-saving products is a big responsibility, which we are committed to by continuously invest- ing in sector-specific expertise and infrastructure.”
The facility includes a 2,175square-meter warehouse and office space of 600 square meters.
In July 2014, it was certified in accordance with the good distribution practice guidelines, a quality system for logistics centers that handle medicinal products, and offers two temperature controlled areas for pharmaceutical products that must be kept at a constant temperature between either 2 to 8 degrees or 15 to 25 degrees Celsius.
DHL Global Forwarding, together with its customer Octapharma, designed the new pharmaceutical cold storage facility and is responsible for comprehensively managing the transport and warehousing of active and passive air freight shipments. Marc Rechsteiner, Global Senior Director of Operational Excellence at Octapharma said, “We are delighted to have found in DHL a logistics partner which is versed in industry requirements and can ensure that our air freight products are stored, handled and distributed in accordance with statutory regulations.”
DHL Thermonet provides seamless temperature visibility along the supply chain, 24/7 proactive monitoring and intervention based on pre-determined touch points and DHL’s RFID SmartSensor technology, that is GDP certified.
The new building in Leipzig has also been audited in line with addi- tional standards and been accredited as a qualified envirotainer provider, thus ensuring competent handling of Envirotainer containers and certification in accordance with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 standards for quality and environmental management.
The logistics center will also serve as an air freight transshipment hub for pharmaceuticals going to Germany, Poland and Slovakia. On-site staff will coordinate transport solutions for the automotive, chemical and technology industries as well as the life sciences and healthcare sectors.