PARIS: GEODIS, a leading global logistics provider, Wednesday announced the opening of its first dedicated healthcare cold chain cross-dock facility in the Americas. The 78,000-square-foot Container Freight Station (CFS) and bonded facility in Chicago, Illinois features a custom-built 5,200-square-foot temperature-controlled addition. Operating as a critical node within the GEODIS freight forwarding network, the facility is exclusively dedicated to healthcare products, providing short-term stowage and specialized handling for pharmaceutical air and ocean exports and imports.
GEODIS strategically chose Chicago to launch these capabilities due to its status as a major U.S. gateway. As a bonded CFS facility located near O’Hare International Airport, it serves as a high-velocity hub for global air and ocean freight. This facility allows GEODIS to maintain end-to-end internal control over temperature-sensitive healthcare cargo as it moves through the global GEODIS network, which includes 170 countries and a growing map of certified facilities.
GEODIS’ Chicago branch is a Certified Cargo Screening Facility (CCSF) for exports. It has also earned IATA’s Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics (CEIV Pharma) certification, ensuring GEODIS’ facilities, equipment, operations and staff comply with the applicable standards, guidelines and regulations expected from a pharmaceutical manufacturer. Chicago is one of GEODIS’ four U.S. branches with this accreditation, and the first with cold chain storage capacity. GEODIS also holds this certification at its facilities in Atlanta, New York and Los Angeles.
“The opening of our first dedicated healthcare cold chain cross-dock in the U.S. demonstrates our commitment to the integrity and efficacy of the life-saving products we handle,” said Josh Jungwirth, Executive Vice President of Freight Forwarding at GEODIS in Americas. “By providing full visibility and internal control within our growing network of certified sites, we ensure that these sensitive air and ocean shipments are protected every step of the way. In the healthcare vertical, the stakes are uniquely high—at the end of every supply chain we manage is a patient. This Chicago facility is a milestone in our mission to be a reliable growth partner for clients who require the highest standards of care.”
The custom-designed cold chain storage occupies 5,200 square feet within the new Chicago facility. This specialized space is divided into two separate temperature-controlled zones to accommodate the specific needs of the pharmaceutical vertical. The first zone consists of 4,600 square feet dedicated to deep cold storage at 15-25 degrees Celsius, featuring 27 feet of clear ceiling height. The second zone, covering 600 square feet, is rated for true refrigerated cold storage, maintaining a temperature range of 2 to 8 degrees Celsius. With this safe, secure and fully temperature-controlled environment, GEODIS is equipped to handle temperature-sensitive medications and healthcare products.
The cold chain storage investment in Chicago extends GEODIS’ global cold chain capabilities, which span the company’s 170-country network. GEODIS operates similar specialized cold chain facilities in major global gateway cities, including locations in France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Germany.
