UPS has signed an agreement to purchase Italy-based Pieffe Group, one of Italy's most highly respected pharmaceutical logistics companies, reported Business Wire.

    The acquisition supports UPS's 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.

    The acquisition announcement follows the opening by UPS of five new dedicated facilities this year in North and South America, Europe and Asia.

    Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

    Pieffe is a family-owned business with more than 35 years' experience offering high-quality storage, distribution and cold chain solutions to some of the world's leading pharmaceutical brands.

    "Pieffe is a perfect fit for UPS," said Jim Barber, president, UPS Europe. "The company shares UPS's focus on high-quality service and compliance, as well as our deep-rooted culture of precision and innovation. Pieffe will make a valuable addition to UPS's European healthcare network, and we look forward to welcoming their team to the UPS family."

    In addition to the expertise and experience that comes with Pieffe, this acquisition also brings two major healthcare distribution facilities to UPS's existing global network, one in Milan and the other in Rome. They offer a combined space of nearly 753,500 sq ft including 12 cold storage areas, with options for further expansion. This adds to UPS's global healthcare distribution footprint of more than four million sq feet.

    "This is a tremendous development for our company, our employees and our customers," said Federico Peruzzi of Pieffe. "UPS's renowned quality standards combined with its specialised global healthcare network will enable us to sustain the growth and momentum we've built up over more than 35 years, while ensuring our customers continue to experience excellent levels of service."

(source:http://www.cargonewsasia.com/category.aspx?id=7)