UPS opens up new Colombia-based healthcare facility

UPS said this week it has opened up a new, 76,000 square-foot, Bogtota, Colombia-based healthcare facility, which is geared towards helping pharmaceutical, biopharma, and medical device companies with their global supply chains for expansion into and intra-transport and export from Latin America.

The facility is comprised of state-of-the-art technology for storing temperature-sensitive healthcare products and offers best-in-class distribution services, warehouse management, and late-stage customization solutions such as labeling, product kitting and configuration, and repackaging, according to UPS. And it added its other features include sorting, processing and data capture technology available through UPS’s validated warehouse management system, which offers customers full inventory visibility, standardized processing and reporting, as well as giving customers access to UPS’s global transportation technology network for complete control of their supply chains.

When asked what led UPS to open this new facility, Francisco Ricaurte, UPS Colombia country manager, told LM that there is a global population growth, increasing middle class and longer life-span that’s driving rapid expansion in healthcare consumption, noting that for imports in particular, UPS is seeing significant growth in healthcare shipments moving into developing markets such as Latin America. 

“So having the right infrastructure in place in strategic locations is paramount for meeting the growing, complex demands for temperature-sensitive, high-value pharmaceutical, biologics and medical device products,” he said.

As for the benefits this new facility provides for shippers in Colombia, Ricaurte explained how healthcare companies demand agile, scalable logistics networks that give them the flexibility to quickly accommodate different types of products; leverage new distribution channels to reach new customers in new and existing markets; and prioritize risk management to ensure business continuity in a growing global marketplace.

“This new Colombia facility allows healthcare customers to reach consumers across Latin America and abroad more quickly and efficiently,” he said.

There are currently 20 UPS staffers working out of the company’s healthcare-dedicated facilities, with 14 in 14 in Guadalajara and 6 in San Diego. This is the second healthcare-dedicated facility in the country and the ninth in the region. The other Colombia facility is located in the Parque Industrial Guadalajara, which Ricuarte said is about 12 minutes away from the San Diego facility. Across Latin America, UPS distribution centers are located in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, México and Puerto Rico.

UPS's network in the region reaches nearly 70 percent of the total healthcare consumption and manufacturing markets in Latin America. The region includes two of the top 15 healthcare consumer markets worldwide and the UPS facilities are located in the largest consumption cities in these countries enabling efficient market access.

Ricaurte said there are various competitive advantages, or benefits, of this new facility for UPS.

“For pharmaceutical and life sciences manufacturers shipping temperature-sensitive products, our best-in-class UPS Temperature True solutions help minimize temperature excursions through rigorous quality management, innovative solutions, problem-solving expertise and effective monitoring,” he said. “UPS has healthcare-dedicated, quality assurance experts based in Latin America, as well as North America, South America, Europe and Asia to oversee quality systems and all documented processes, operational training, vendor management and audit support to enable compliance with regulatory requirements for healthcare products. UPS’s extensive global network and packaging portfolio includes options to cover all temperature ranges, sizes and both passive and active systems. We continue to invest in, develop and expand our portfolio to provide the latest state-of-the art supply chain technologies for healthcare and life science organizations.”