UPS Strengthens European Pharma Logistics with Acquisition of Frigo-Trans and BPL

By Maria Kalamatas | The Logistic News | April 2, 2025

In a strategic move to solidify its leadership in global healthcare logistics, UPS has finalized the acquisition of German firms Frigo-Trans and BPL. This deal significantly boosts UPS Healthcare’s temperature-controlled capabilities across Europe, positioning the company to meet rising pharmaceutical and biotech industry demands.

Announced in September 2024 and completed in March 2025, the acquisition reflects UPS’s continued investment in cold-chain logistics—an increasingly critical component in the global life sciences sector.

Enhancing Cold-Chain Capabilities Across Europe

Frigo-Trans and BPL bring with them advanced infrastructure and expertise in managing time-critical and temperature-sensitive shipments. With specialized facilities capable of maintaining conditions from cryogenic levels at -196°C to ambient ranges up to +25°C, Frigo-Trans has become a trusted name for European biopharma logistics.

UPS’s Executive Vice President, Kate Gutmann, emphasized the strategic importance of the acquisition:
“The fast-paced innovation in the pharmaceutical industry is creating the need to have more integrated cold and frozen supply chains. Frigo-Trans will help deepen our portfolio of solutions and accelerate our journey to become the number one complex healthcare logistics provider in the world.”

Frigo-Trans also operates a Pan-European transportation network, enabling seamless temperature-controlled shipping across borders, while BPL specializes in air and ocean freight forwarding for critical healthcare shipments. Combined, their strengths will allow UPS to offer enhanced, end-to-end solutions that address the increasingly complex demands of the healthcare supply chain.

Sustainability at the Core

What distinguishes Frigo-Trans is not only its logistics precision but its commitment to sustainability—a value shared by UPS. The company’s fleet is designed for minimal fuel consumption, and its headquarters incorporates green building principles. Furthermore, the innovative Cool Chain Control System ensures energy-efficient management of temperature-sensitive cargo.

Reiner Roß, CEO of Frigo-Trans, underscored this ethos in the company’s sustainability report:
“It has never been more important to view sustainability not as a passing trend but as an integral part of a company’s philosophy… Sustainable action is crucial for a livable environment, both today and for future generations.”

This alignment with UPS’s broader sustainability goals enhances the strategic fit of the acquisition. UPS itself has committed to achieving net-zero emissions in its operations by 2050.

Future-Ready Logistics for Pharma and Biotech

With over $91 billion in revenue and a workforce of nearly half a million people, UPS continues to evolve its role as a global logistics powerhouse. This latest acquisition reinforces its ability to serve one of the fastest-growing and most demanding sectors in global logistics: healthcare.

As precision medicine, biologics, and cell and gene therapies proliferate, the need for reliable, scalable, and environmentally conscious logistics grows in parallel. UPS’s acquisition of Frigo-Trans and BPL is not only timely—it’s necessary.

With this integration, UPS Healthcare is better equipped than ever to deliver critical, temperature-sensitive products across Europe and beyond. The company is poised to remain a leader in the sector as it adapts to emerging challenges in supply chain resilience and sustainability

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