DHL Group has continued the expansion of its Life Sciences & Healthcare (LSH) campus in Florstadt near Frankfurt am Main, Germany, with the opening of a new 30,000m2 warehouse specifically designed for the storage and distribution of high-value pharmaceutical and medical products.
The new Florstadt 4 warehouse is part of a wider €2bn (US$2.2bn) investment by the group in its DHL Health Logistics subsidiary and means the logistics campus now comprises a total of 100,000m2 of warehouse space.
The DHL site will in the future offer capacity for more than 140,000 pallets for pharmaceutical and medical products, serving international customers from the biopharma, specialty pharma, medical technology and clinical research sectors with more than 600 highly qualified employees on site.
“With this fourth expansion, we are creating capacity for the future in Florstadt,” said Hendrik Venter, CEO, DHL Supply Chain for Europe, Middle East and Africa. “From here, we can supply customers not only in Germany, but throughout Europe – and beyond.
“Our central location in the Frankfurt economic region, right in the heart of Europe, the close proximity to Frankfurt Airport and the strong local infrastructure all make Florstadt a key location for our activities and our ambitious growth agenda in the lief sciences and healthcare sector,” he added.
The climate-neutral Florstadt 4 warehouse features multiple temperature zones, with the capability to reach as low as -70°C if needed. Focus is placed on the critical temperature ranges of 2-8°C and -20°C, ensuring compliance with the highest standards for handling temperature-sensitive products, according to DHL.
Expansion strategy
At the Florstadt site, DHL Supply Chain is focusing on end-to-end visibility, compliance and digitalization, with daily operational processes supported by a warehouse management system that is closely integrated with the customer’s IT systems. This also facilitates efficient supply chain management for particularly complex and patient-specific products such as clinical trials or temperature-sensitive specialty medications, DHL says.
“Florstadt 4 is a prime and concrete example of how we are implementing our Strategy 2030 – with investments totaling €2bn [US$2.2bn] by 2030, we are strengthening our global DHL Health Logistics network,” confirmed Oscar de Bok, global CEO, DHL Supply Chain. “Hubs like this one here in Florstadt near Frankfurt form the backbone of our end-to-end Supply Chain solutions, which we are increasingly offering customers from a single source.
“We are creating state-of-the-art, resilient supply chains for the next generation of therapies – from biopharma to cell and gene therapy. Our mission is to provide patients with the vital medicines they need, when they need them, all around the world.”
Read more about healthcare logistics in the June issue of Parcel and Postal Technology International – coming soon!