Polar Speed And Marken Join Forces In The UK

Two UPS companies will forge a strong UK- based healthcare logistics presence

LONDON, June 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Marken announced today that they will assume responsibility for Polar Speed, a leading provider of pharmacy and cold chain transportation services in the United Kingdom. Marken and Polar Speed are both wholly owned subsidiaries of UPS. Each company operates independently in the UK, but the new collaboration will enable greater knowledge sharing, significant pharmaceutical expertise and operational synergies.  The combination of the two companies will also provide a stronger healthcare presence in the UK which could lead to further expansion in the future.

The collaboration with Marken will enhance Polar Speed's fleet of 150 actively monitored temperature-controlled vehicles for transporting products in accordance with U.K.'s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) guidelines. The fleet is outfitted with sophisticated technology, including on-board temperature recorders and alarms to alert drivers of potential temperature excursions.  In addition, PolarTrack, an online portal linked to a satellite navigation system, allows customers to access real-time delivery status and temperature conditions of their products. Along with their extensive warehouse and transport service offerings, Polar Speed provides automated Order to Cash services to over 14,000 pharmacies and Direct to Patient Homecare services throughout the UK from its licensed Pharmacy locations.

Wes Wheeler, Chief Executive Officer of Marken, commented: "Polar Speed and Marken will bring value to its customers by leveraging each other's knowledge of the healthcare industry in the UK.  Polar Speed's reputation for high quality temperature-controlled transportation and pharmacy services and Marken's reputation for high quality clinical trial services will form a strong presence for UPS.  Together, the two companies will work with each other to offer a full complement of services to the UK healthcare industry".

About Marken

Marken is a wholly owned subsidiary of UPS. Marken is the only patient-centric supply chain organization 100% dedicated to the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries. Marken maintains the leading position for Direct to Patient and Home Health care services, biological sample shipments and offers a state-of-the-art GMP-compliant depot network and logistic hubs in 49 locations worldwide for clinical trial material storage and distribution. Marken's more than 950 staff members manage 70,000 drug and biological shipments every month at all temperature ranges in more than 150 countries. Additional services such as biological kit production, ancillary material sourcing, storage and distribution, shipment lane verification and qualifications, as well as GDP, regulatory and compliance consultancy add to Marken's unique position in the pharma and logistics industry.

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