A global business is expanding in Sunderland after playing a role in getting life-saving drugs to patients around the world as Covid-19 closed airports and grounded planes.
Pharmaceutical air freight company Yusen Logistics (海角视频) has moved into a new office which is double the size of its previous based at the North East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC) and is recruiting new staff to cope with demand for its specialist services.
The Wearside-based team, which forms an important part of the global supply chain company, is the only healthcare-focused freight forwarder in the region.
It acts as a freight agent for major pharmaceutical companies, organising the safe movement of medicines and their raw ingredients to every corner of the world.
Yusen first moved to the BIC in 2014 with three employees. It has already trebled in size and after moving to its newly-refurbished office, it is recruiting again.
Branch manager Andrew Lowes said though Covid-19 had presented challenges for the team, their successful response means they are expanding and preparing to eventually transport a vaccine.
He said: 鈥淲e are a control tower, directing the movement of pharmaceuticals around the world from our office here at the BIC, so the initial spread of Covid threw us some serious challenges.
鈥淓ach day brought the most unbelievably cryptic puzzles to solve as flights were cancelled and airports were closed across entire countries. People still urgently needed medicines so we had to find new ways of getting cancer drugs, cardio vascular medicines and other sophisticated treatments to waiting patients.
鈥淓very shipment we deal with comes with very specific requirements relating to the way it is handled to regulate the temperature and keep the contents safe. Certain products even require armed escorts because the contents are so valuable.
鈥淭he team鈥檚 experience and fantastic way of working together meant we managed to keep everything on track 鈥 despite Covid鈥檚 best efforts to derail us. It鈥檚 incredible to look back and realise what we managed to accomplish 鈥 and still are accomplishing 鈥 in such difficult circumstances.
鈥淲e are now working closely with companies involved with developing a vaccine and expect soon to be moving this very important treatment around the world.鈥
BIC centre manager Donna Surtees said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 been fantastic to see Yusen鈥檚 success over the past three years and we are proud that they chose to stay here as they embark on this exciting new chapter of their growth.
鈥淲e鈥檝e worked closely with the team to completely redesign and reconfigure their new unit to suit their business and social distancing requirements and we鈥檒l be on hand to help when they inevitably need more space to manage their ongoing success.鈥
