Alloga expands logistics territory

European healthcare logistics provider Alloga has expanded its territory into Greece and Cyprus.

The move extends its network to 24 countries and the company claims it now offers the industry's "widest geographical coverage in Europe".

The firm has achieved this geographic expansion through a new partnership formed with the Industrial and Logistics Services Division of PNG Gerolymatos, based in Athens.

Alloga said its new partner offers the full range of pre-wholesale logistics services including order processing, warehousing, transportation and invoicing, and it also provides manufacturing, labelling and information services on dispatch and tracking of goods including shipping traceability and documentation.

Nikos Gerolymatos, CEO of PNG Gerolymatos, said that the new partnership will better position the firms to meet the needs of international companies looking for outsourcing solutions on a multi-country basis through a single network.

Alloga is owned by Alliance Boots (outside of Switzerland) and its existing operations include a range of specialist pre-wholesale logistics services across Europe, from warehousing and distribution, to contract management, secondary packaging and labelling, distribution of promotional material and clinical trial logistics.

In related news, rival European third party logistics (3PL) provider, Belgian-based NYK Logistics, has announced a restructure of its Western European Logistics business into two regional companies.

As of 1 April this year, the two new entities will trade as NYK Logistics North Continent and NYK Logistics South Europe, both forming part of NYK Group Europe, Logistics Division.

NYK Logistics North Continent will by headed up by Piet Boogaard as CEO and will cover Belgium, Germany and The Netherlands.

Giuseppe Fontana will serve as CEO for NYK Logistics South Europe, which includes Italy, Spain and France.

The company said that under the new structure, "key management functions of NYK's local companies will be centralised permitting standardisation of customer contracts and easier sharing of best practice ideas on a regional basis".

NYK added that the split is also in response to a need to provide more flexible solutions and optimising cooperation between its logistics companies in the continental European market, where it has a "growing presence" and also plans to expand its service offerings in the years to come.

Indeed, the opportunities are there for 3PL providers who want to grab a chunk of this burgeoning market - European spending on outsourced logistics services in the pharma industry is likely to exceed $2bn (€1.5bn) in 2011, according to business information provider Analytiqa.