Pharmaserv opens pharmaceutical logistics center in Gießen

Pharmaserv has opened its third pharmaceutical logistics center under its logistics brand "Pharmaserv Logistics" in Gießen-Lützellinden, Hesse. The complex, conveniently located near the A5 and A45 motorways, allows for GMP- and GDP-compliant storage, packaging, and distribution of temperature-sensitive finished medicinal products.

With the new pharmaceutical logistics center, Pharmaserv is expanding its service offering by another 14,200 m² and increasing its capacity to 35,000 m² of high-quality pharmaceutical space. The warehouse, originally built in 2020 for wholesale of organic foods, was converted and qualified by Pharmaserv to pharmaceutical standards (GMP and GDP) in just four months. In three different temperature zones, sensitive finished medicinal products can now be stored, picked, and securely packaged for transport. The warehouse is also suitable for pharmaceutical consumables and packaging materials.

"The new pharmaceutical logistics center is part of our growth strategy and reflects our ambition to be a leading provider of integrated and comprehensive site management and service solutions for pharma and life sciences in the DACH region," says Dr. Martin Egger, Managing Director of Pharmaserv and Infrareal Holding. "Pharmaserv has invested around 110 million euros in the Marburg site and in new cross-site service products over the past five years." Currently, growing business is driven not only by the general increase in volume in the pharma and life sciences industry but also by uncertainties in supply chains due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. By specializing in demanding logistics solutions for biopharmaceuticals, Pharmaserv serves a rapidly growing market.

Securing supply chains drives demand

"Our customers are significantly increasing their inventories — therefore, we needed additional capacity in a short time," explains Manuel Papstein, Head of Business Development at Pharmaserv Logistics. "Resources and inventories are increasingly viewed as reserves for resilience," emphasizes Andreas Gmür, Head of Logistics at consulting firm Camelot Management Consultants.

The protection concept includes fire protection according to FM Global, video surveillance, access controls, and a pest control plan. Independent cooling circuits with adiabatic pre-cooling provide additional safety and efficient energy use. Powerful fans prevent temperature stratification in the warehouse. Cloud-based temperature monitoring ensures compliance with temperature ranges and alerts for system issues. The alarm system is connected to the 24/7 Pharmaserv security center in Marburg, ensuring the highest possible security level.

The logistics center also meets high standards in sustainability: including heating and cooling with heat pumps, an in-house photovoltaic system, and charging stations for electric vehicles. The building complies with the criteria of the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) and has been awarded the Gold certification.

A special feature of the new pharmaceutical logistics center is the fully automated storage system, in which robots can perform up to 180 picks per hour. This Autostore can hold up to 5,000 containers qualified for temperatures between 2°C and 8°C and 25,000 containers in the 15°C to 25°C range and is currently being adapted to the requirements of the pharmaceutical industry. "Our Autostore will be the first storage system of its kind to be GMP-qualified," explains Johannes Kutscher, Head of Projects & Operational Excellence at Pharmaserv Logistics, adding: "The rapid conversion to a pharmaceutical logistics center was made possible by the enormous synergies between the Pharmaserv business units of logistics, technology, and site management."

"With Marburg, Groß-Gerau, and Gießen, Pharmaserv Logistics is already very well positioned, but we plan to continue growing in other German and European pharmaceutical centers," says Manuel Papstein. Pharmaserv plans to open another pharmaceutical logistics center in North Rhine-Westphalia in 2024. "We follow a clear growth plan and intend to expand as the Infrareal Group through further acquisitions," looks forward Dr. Martin Egger.