LOUISVILLE, Ky. — UPS Healthcare on Thursday announced a new set of facilities, including one in Louisville, designed to expand distribution capabilities for global healthcare logistics.

One of the company's newest cold chain and packaging centers will soon be fully operational in Louisville on New Cut Road near the Worldport global air hub, UPS said in a news release.

With the new facility, UPS Healthcare said it hopes to continue to build "the world’s most sophisticated healthcare logistics capabilities."

“Our decades of experience create the perfect foundation for continued investment in capabilities and infrastructure around the world,” said Kate Gutmann, executive vice president of UPS Global Healthcare. “UPS Healthcare is on a mission to provide our customers with even higher performance, greater cost efficiencies and more sustainable shipping options.”

The new Louisville DC joins existing cold chain facilities around the world – part of an ongoing strategy by the company to expand its global footprint. UPS said the expansions should bring increased flexibility and efficiency to customers, as well as improved cold chain capabilities.

Citing its successful involvement with COVID-19 vaccine delivery, UPS said it's creating value in the future delivery of new drugs, especially biologics. The company’s temperature-controlled facilities are designed to handle biologically derived drugs, such as vaccines, at any temperature.

The newest facility, dubbed the "Cold Chain Packaging Center of Excellence," is the company’s first U.S.-based logistics facility to offer reusable cold chain packaging options for customers, utilizing the entire life cycle of temperature-controlled packages and contributing to a circular economy.

According to the Biopharma Cold Chain Sourcebook, cold chain trends show 48% expected growth between 2018 and 2024 for medicines that require at least 2 to 8 degrees Celsius storage and shipping.

The overall market for cold chain services (packaging, transportation, and data services) is expected to significantly accelerate over the next three years, growing up to 24% by 2024 according to UPS.

“We are building on our expertise and leadership displayed throughout the pandemic by continuing to develop new capabilities in cold chain logistics around the world,” said UPS Healthcare President Wes Wheeler. “With new facilities and capabilities, UPS Healthcare is better positioned to safely manage the growing number of temperature-sensitive biologic drugs, as well as cell and gene treatments currently in development.”

UPS Healthcare now operates 125 GDP/GMP facilities in 34 countries around the globe.