Ashford, Middlesex, UK: US freight forwarder AIT Worldwide is set to further expand in Europe with the purchase of UK freight forwarder Mach II Shipping. Mach II – more commonly known as Mach 2 – handles temperature-controlled pharmaceutical products. The purchase of Mach 2 will include its sites in the UK and the Netherlands, as well as its global Pharmafreight partner network.
“In addition to temperature-controlled air freight, Mach 2 provides outstanding dedicated road service for high-value life sciences moves throughout Europe with a managed fleet of temperature-controlled vehicles operated by independent contractors,” said AIT vice president of life sciences Chris Amberg.
“Its value-added services include in-house customs clearance and a temperature-controlled warehouse in Ashford, Middlesex,” he said.
The Ashford operation was boosted in 2019 with the opening of a similar site in Nieuw-Vennep, near Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, before the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, which allows temperature-controlled pharma and life sciences shipments, such as clinical trials, to avoid Brexit-related customs or regulatory challenges. The Netherlands site has an ultra-low temperature (ULT) freezer to safely and securely store oncology products at below -60°C.
“I’m delighted to welcome Mach 2 and Pharmafreight teammates to the company,” said AIT’s president and chief operating officer, Keith Tholan. “Their well-tenured expertise provides an instant boost to our world-class life sciences division, and we look forward to elevating cold chain services for our customers, especially in Europe.”
