Maersk expands Pharma Distribution Centre in Poland

POLAND : Maersk’s second dedicated pharmaceutical warehouse in Central Poland is now ready for business. The new facility offers unparalleled storage condition stability, crucial for this industry and already appreciated by customers. Maersk has been providing global pharmaceutical players in Central Europe professional warehousing and distribution services since 2001, specifically tailored to meet the needs of this demanding customer segment. Building further on its experience and to address growing customer needs, Maersk launched a project in late 2020 to create a second pharmaceutical warehouse as part of its existing warehousing and distribution centre in Mszczonów near Warsaw (Poland), which has now been officially inaugurated and is made available to customers.

Sustainable solutions and focus on quality

Maersk’s pharma customers already using its existing warehouse are eyeing the new facility, which addresses their needs for high quality and environmental standards.

“We are really impressed with Maersk’s new dedicated pharmaceutical warehouse, constructed according to latest technological trends. It’s one of the few to have photovoltaic panels. Such new technologies are in line with Boehringer Ingelheim’s strategy: Sustainable Development – For Generations – and might be a valuable attribute for such specialized facilities in the near future.” Grażyna Sass Head of Supply Chain at Boehringer Ingelheim Poland

Another global pharma customer, Bayer, has already extended its collaboration with Maersk and will be transferring its business to the new warehouse as its first tenant.

Bayer Sp. z o.o. has once again selected Maersk for a five-year collaboration in the area of warehousing services. Our plan is to transfer from Maersk’s current pharmaceutical warehouse to their newly opened state-of-the-art facility offering sustainable and scalable solutions, as their first tenant. We were particularly drawn by carbon neutrality, green logistics and environmentally friendly solutions it offers, which is of great importance for Bayer and Maersk in order to ensure sustainable growth Maria Agata Struzik Supply Chain Head at Bayer in Poland

The new warehouse – the first one in Poland with BREEAM Excellent certificate – is fully dedicated to pharmaceutical customers and is located on a plot fully owned by Maersk. The building has photovoltaic panels installed on the roof, as well as a chilled water system used to supply power to the coolers of all air handling units and fan coils. In addition, the heat recovery installation will supply the buffer tank located in the gas boiler room and recycled heat collected in that way will be used to supply heaters in air handling units during the summer. The facility will have integrated Quality Management System implemented, based on Good Distribution and Manufacturing Practice (GDP) and ISO certificates.

Responding to customer demands

The pharmaceutical industry is becoming increasingly focused on sustainability across its production and supply chain, in line with the EU’s Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe, which paves a way for the industry to contribute to EU’s climate neutrality, with a focus on reducing greenhouse emissions along the value chain.

We know from our pharma customers that they expect their logistics partners to not only provide them with solutions – like warehousing and distribution – that meet their growth ambitions, but also match their environmental and sustainability targets. That, coupled with features that enhance quality control and the market knowledge of our staff, make this facility an attractive option for global pharma customers strongly present in Central Europe.Hristo PetkovGlobal Vertical Head, Pharma at Maersk

Cold storage is one of the key services Maersk offers to its pharma customers. Today, the global Maersk Pharma team handles over 25,000 orders per year for more than 30 key clients transporting pharmaceutical and veterinary products, medical devices, and dangerous Pharmaceutical goods.

FACT BOX

• Fully compliant with EU GDP (Good Distribution Practice) (2013/C 343/01), GMP, ISO 9001 [QMS], ISO 13485 [Medical Devices], ISO 22000 [HACCP]
• Modern, carbon neutral facility thanks to photovoltaic energy solutions installed, which provide a total of ca. 600 MWh annually
• Available space: ca. 15 000 sqm; operational height: 11,5 m; approximate capacity: ca. 24 000 pallet places
• Strategic location:
  • 40 km from Warsaw Chopin Airport
  • Next to S7 motorway, connecting two most populous Polish metropolitan areas – Silesia and Mazovia with Warsaw
  • Easy access to A1 and A2 – two major Polish highways, linking North with South and East with West
  • Road bypassing the town allows to reduce traffic jams in the proximity of Logistics Park