Prime Air Inaugurates Pharma, Medical Devices Warehouse
With a $1.8 million investment and the most advanced technology and infrastructure, the Puerto Rican, global 24/7 logistics and transportation services company, Prime Air Corp., built the first temperature-controlled warehouse in the cargo area of the San Juan airport to meet the needs of the island’s pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
The new 12,000-square-foot project was designed with the highest industry standards to provide flexibility, adaptability and optimal conditions for the handling and storage of medications, active ingredients, medical devices and refrigerated components, said Iris Vincent, co-founder & president of Prime Air Corp., which is also an agent in Puerto Rico for the stateside Stevens Global Logistics company.
To meet the demands of these highly regulated industries, Prime Air Corp. received ad-vice and input from the island’s main leaders in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries, and achieved a world-class storage center with redundancy in all critical aspects, such as energy, refrigeration and technologies.
“During the emergency caused by the impacts from hurricanes Irma and Maria in Puerto Rico, the pharmaceutical and medical device industry faced significant challenges in the logistics and distribution phase,” Vincent said. “Our modern and advanced temperature-controlled ware-house, strategically located in the airport area, is becoming an extension of our clients’ facilities since their products or materials will be under the same type of environment and under the same strict controls that they have in their manufacturing plants.”
Vincent added that with this initiative, Prime Air is ready to play a proactive role in the supply chain for movement of cargo outside of Puerto Rico to ensure the continuity of companies’ plans in case of any emergency situation.
Prime Air’s temperature-controlled ware-house has two 5,000-square-foot chambers. One chamber is programmed with a temperature parameter of between 15 and 25 degrees Celsius for products or components that require normal storage conditions. The second chamber is set to temperature parameters between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius for products that require refrigeration without freezing. Both chambers have the capacity to each store 325 pallets, and temperatures can be adjusted if necessary.
In terms of tracking and monitoring, the unit is equipped with a GPS tracking program that allows customers to view the carrier’s route in real time from one point to another. It also has geo-fencing capabilities (a virtual perimeter for a real-world geographic area), is monitored by a 24/7 closed-circuit television (CCTV) system, has controlled access, an intrusion alarm and inventory control systems.
Likewise, all cargo-collection and handling operations follow Transportation Security Administration (TSA) processes and Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) security criteria. The temperature-controlled warehouse also follows all safety, health and environmental policies.
“With this new temperature-controlled warehouse and Prime Air’s promise to offer 24-hour services tailor-made to our customers’ needs, the pharmaceutical and medical-device industries will have a strategic partner that will handle their products under strict refrigerated conditions and standards to ensure the conservation of their physical and chemical characteristics, as well as the pharmacological properties of medications or medical devices,” Vincent said.