UTi Worldwide, a global supply chain provider, has opened a Good Distributions Practices (GDP) facility in Rome, near Fiumicino-Leonardo da Vinci International Airport, also conveniently located near the trans-European highway.
Additionally, UTi earned CEIV (Center of Excellence for Independent Validators) pharma certification in the IATA
training and pharmaceutical freight certification program at Brussels Airport in December.
“The CEIV Pharma cold chain certification program ensures integrity at every step of the supply chain, including temperature cargo handling and operations for temperature-sensitive cargo, ” said Phil Abbate, UTi global vice president, pharmaceutical and health care.
“Italy is the world’s sixth-largest pharma manufacturer, and we positioned our Rome hub based on the high concentration of pharma companies operating in central Italy and south of the region,” Abbate said. “Our pharma handling protocols and enhanced capabilities ensure that inbound and outbound pharmaceutical products are handled safely and securely to ensure product integrity.”
He said the 18,300-square-foot facility in Rome has three temperature-controlled rooms and strict handling protocols that exceed GDP and other regulatory standards.
Abbate said UTi facilities are a qualified provider of handling, pre-conditioning, assembly and distribution of temperature-sensitive Envirotainer and C-Safe containers. They also manage a portfolio of insulated pallet wrapping options, including a proprietary, validated wrapping process called ZTM.