UPS opens 76,000-square-foot healthcare-logistics facility near Bogota, Colombia

UPS opened a 76,000-square-foot healthcare-dedicated facility near Bogota, Colombia, as the U.S.-based integrator ramps up investment in healthcare logistics in Latin America.

The multi-client facility features temperature-sensitive storage and technology that Francisco Ricaurte, UPS Colombia country manager said would, “lower costs, streamline inventory and meet increasing demands across Latin America and the world.”

The facility is Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) compliant, and regulated by the Colombian Drug Regulatory Authority (Instituto Nacional de Vigilancia del Medicamento – INVIMA) and the Colombian Ministry of Health.

Located near El Dorado International Airport and the Capital, Bogota, the facility is in a “vital region for the global healthcare industry,” said Romaine Seguin, UPS Americas region president. “This facility offers greater access to UPS’s first-class logistics solutions for pharmaceutical products and medical devices, providing healthcare customers in the region with the confidence and support they need to achieve their business goals.”

This is UPS’s second healthcare-dedicated facility in the country, and the ninth in the region.

The opening follows the release of a study by UPS that 47 percent of SME importers were looking to expand international supply chains, suggesting billions in untapped cross-border commerce. Colombia’s oil exports are down, but on the import side, values have increased at an annualized rate of 5.4 percent between 2010-2015.