UPS to acquire Poland-based pharmaceutical logistics company Poltraf

UPS said this week it has acquired Poland-based pharmaceutical logistics company Poltraf from Ortie, an investment fund based in Poland.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. UPS said it expects the deal to be completed in the first half of 2015.

UPS said that through this acquisition it will augment its healthcare expertise and network in Europe, specifically in the fast growing healthcare markets in Central and Eastern Europe.

Poltraf was established in 2005 and its primary service offering is its temperature-sensitive warehousing and transportation solutions geared to help healthcare and life sciences shippers maximize supply chain efficiencies, meet regulatory requirements and deliver products in a reliable and secure manner. The company has roughly 135 employees.

“UPS has agreed to acquire Poltraf as part of its ongoing global healthcare strategy, which has seen the company make investments to better serve its growing customer base in the pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device industries,” a company spokesman told LM. “The acquisition supports UPS’s ongoing global healthcare strategy, in which the company has made investments to better serve its growing customer base in the pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device industries. With a focus on quality assurance compliance, unique active transportation solutions, and direct deliveries to hospitals, pharmacies and clinics, Poltraf is an excellent fit with UPS.”

The acquisition will add three facilities with advanced warehousing management systems, full quality assurance services, and an experienced workforce to UPS’s existing European healthcare network, which is now comprised of 14 healthcare facilities, according to UPS. The company’s healthcare presence in Europe, including this deal, is made up of distribution centers in the Benelux area, Eastern Europe, Central Europe, Southern Europe, the Iberian Peninsula and the United Kingdom.

And it added that Poltraf utilizes a fleet of approximately 170 temperature-controlled vehicles for the transportation of both 2-8°C refrigerated and 15-25°C products. All of these vehicles feature an end-to-end GPS and temperature-monitoring system, and deliveries are supported by an advanced scan-based tracking program. The company also has 10 field stocking locations, strategically placed across the country, support the timely delivery of the pharmaceuticals and medical devices.

The UPS spokesman explained that its healthcare and life science shipper customers will see various benefits through the acquisition of Poltraf.

“Poltraf is one of Poland’s most highly respected pharmaceutical logistics companies in offering temperature-sensitive warehousing and transportation solutions that help healthcare clients maximize supply chain efficiencies, meet regulatory requirements and deliver products reliably and securely,” he said.  “This acquisition supports UPS’s ongoing global healthcare strategy, in which the company has made investments to better serve its growing customer base in the pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device industries.”