Walden Group establishes Eurotranspharma network in Germany

The German market is getting a new player for the delivery of temperature-controlled pharmaceutical and healthcare products according to European GDP standards. “Eurotranspharma Deutschland GmbH will be the only provider that exclusively transports pharmaceutical and healthcare products within the temperature ranges of 2°C to 8°C and 15°C to 25°C in a network,” says Steffen Segelke, managing director of the new company. “We will deliver to the 18,000 pharmacies in Germany, hospitals, doctors, and wholesalers with all medical and pharmaceutical goods they order by the next day.”

To realize these plans, Eurotranspharma (ETP), the European last-mile healthcare expert of the Walden Group, has joined forces with four German healthcare distribution companies to form Eurotranspharma Deutschland GmbH. ETP holds the majority of shares in the new company. Eurotranspharma Deutschland will operate nationwide from the start thanks to a hub-and-spokes structure: A central hub in the Kassel area connects regional depots across Germany. Managing Director Steffen Segelke has over 20 years of experience in transport and logistics in Germany and nearly 15 years specifically in healthcare.

“Eurotranspharma Deutschland will benefit from the expertise of the Walden Group as a leading player in markets such as the English, French, Belgian, and Dutch markets, as well as from the local expertise of our four German partners and Mr. Segelke,” explains Stéphane Baudry, chairman of the Walden Group. He expects the network to be operational in the first quarter of 2024. “The fleet will consist of dual-compartment vehicles capable of transporting goods simultaneously in both temperature ranges required by customers.” ETP has also significantly invested in the development of a transport management system and tracking solutions specifically designed for the requirements of GDP transport at two temperatures.

Customer inquiries triggered the project

When asked about the reasons for Walden establishing this new network, Baudry explains: “The project stems from inquiries from our customers in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries who have asked us to provide integrated transport solutions in Germany that are fully focused on pharmaceutical and healthcare products. The country is a strategic pharmaceutical market but currently has an insufficient transport offering, which has led to increased risks for our customers and, in general, for the supply chain for patients.”

Benoit Latteur, managing director of Eurotranspharma Europe, sees three key strengths of Eurotranspharma Deutschland GmbH. “Firstly, thanks to a fleet of dual-compartment vehicles, we can deliver 2°C/8°C and 15°C/25°C simultaneously. This allows us to consolidate volumes, better control overflow and lead times, and offer a more sustainable service with fewer vehicles on the road.” The second advantage is that “Eurotranspharma has implemented proven processes and tools that enable real-time tracking of vehicle locations and temperature monitoring of goods.” Finally, Latteur states, “the establishment of the German subsidiary will provide the market with a connection to ETP’s fully integrated distribution network for the last mile, which spans nine countries and offers a pan-European approach as well as service level agreements.” Additionally, ETP is a member of the Skandi Network, the first collaborative European GDP transport network, allowing it to connect 26 European countries daily.

Improving quality in pharmaceutical logistics

“I am convinced that Eurotranspharma Deutschland will improve the quality of logistics services for the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry in Germany and will also enhance connections between Germany and the rest of Europe for both fine distribution and import and export,” concludes Steffen Segelke.

Photo: © Eurotranspharma