Express Trailers completes new cross dock project

Express Trailers has inaugurated a new €600,000 investment in a third temperature-controlled warehouse and a new cross-dock facility for the loading and unloading of pharmaceutical cargo in temperature-controlled environments.

Both new facilities, located adjacent to the company’s head office building form part of a long-term project initiated in 2013 when Express Trailers had inaugurated its first two temperature-controlled warehousing facilities purposely designed and built for the storage of pharmaceuticals.

All facilities are licensed by Malta’s Medical Authorities and complement Express Trailers’ international pharmaceutical transport services which meet EU pharma ‘good distribution practices’ standards.

Express Trailers currently serves over 110 businesses in the pharma sector.

Addressing the inauguration of the new facilities, Express Trailers’ Chief Executive Officer Etienne Attard explained how the company’s constant investment in its logistics setup to service the country’s pharmaceutical sector reflects its vision and commitment to support Malta’s journey of economic growth.

“Any pharmaceutical sector is as strong as the logistics setup that supports it and at Express Trailers, we realised the huge potential of this sector way back since the 1970’s when we started servicing several leading pharmaceutical companies by supporting their import, export and pharma warehousing requirements,” said Attard.

“Over the years, we continued to invest heavily to meet the industry’s growing requirements in terms of quality of service, handling, certifications and warehousing. Ten years ago, conscious of the growing industry, we also took the bold decision to launch our pharma warehousing service with our first two temperature-controlled warehouses, complemented by a fleet of GPS-monitored and temperature-controlled trucks and trailers,” he added.

Etienne Attard added that Express Trailers remains confident that the pharmaceutical sector remains grounded on its growth trajectory due to the increased demand it is experiencing for the transport and logistics services from the pharma sector.

“Fuelled by this renewed demand, over the past months, we also invested in a new fleet of temperature-controlled trailers. Now, with the completion of this infrastructure project to extend our premises to accommodate further space for the controlled storage of pharmaceuticals, we have reconfirmed our leadership in this sector,” added Attard.

Express Trailers was Malta's first transport and logistics operator to be listed on the European Medicines Agency’s Eudra GMDP, a database for Good Distribution Practice Compliance and Wholesale Distribution Authorisation for the storage and transportation of medicinal products.

Franco Vella, Director at Express Trailers who project managed this latest investment noted that the first two temperature-controlled facilities inaugurated in 2013 consist of a 700m² able to accommodate around 1300 pallets and equipped with an automated mobile aisle system to maximise capacity.

“This third new facility of another 350m² of storage capacity with a potential occupancy of 600 pallets completes the group’s logistics and services offering to the level required today by manufacturers and importers of pharmaceutical products.”

“With the completion of this latest investment, we can continue guaranteeing professional high-standard storage and final delivery of pharmaceutical products to and from any point in Europe thanks to a Europe-wide network through our strategic partnership,” added Franco Vella.

Currently, 18.9% of Malta’s total exports come from ‘Life Sciences Exports’, a market valued at around €876 million and the fruit of around 60 companies operating locally which together employ 1700 people, most of them highly skilled technical people.