🧊 NYK makes €1.25B move into European pharma logistics

Welcome back to CubeCold News where we cover the latest developments in the cold chain industry and temperature-controlled logistics.

In today’s edition:

• NYK Group acquires Walden Group’s healthcare logistics business

• Hub Group acquires Marten Transport intermodal assets

• Maersk opens Panama Pacifico logistics centre as a gateway to Latin America

• SeaCube Cold Solutions partners with The Wonderful Company to expand cold chain footprint in California

• GIF invests in Keep IT Cool's African cold chain solution

News

NYK Group acquires Walden Group’s healthcare logistics business NYK Group's subsidiary Yusen Logistics Europe has agreed to acquire the healthcare logistics business of the Walden Group through purchasing Movianto International B.V. for approximately €1.25 billion (¥210 billion).

• The acquisition includes specialized healthcare companies operating from 138 locations across 12 European countries, generating approximately €790 million in annual revenue.

• The Walden healthcare operations provide contract logistics, 4PL services, and temperature-controlled transportation specifically for the pharmaceutical industry.

• This acquisition significantly expands NYK's healthcare logistics presence in Europe and aligns with their strategy to position logistics as a core business segment.

• The transaction represents the first major global acquisition since Yusen Logistics Global Management began leading the group's worldwide operations. (NYK Group)

Hub Group acquires Marten Transport intermodal assets Hub Group announced the acquisition of Marten Transport's intermodal division for $51.8 million in cash, significantly expanding its temperature-controlled intermodal capabilities.

• The transaction includes approximately 1,200 refrigerated containers and serves around 100 food and beverage shippers, making Hub Group the second-largest provider of temperature-controlled intermodal solutions in North America.

• The acquisition offers operational synergies through increased scale and network density, cross-selling opportunities across Hub Group's business lines, and immediate accretion to fourth-quarter 2025 earnings per share.

• The asset purchase is expected to close by the end of the third quarter, subject to customary closing conditions. (Hub Group)

Maersk opens Panama Pacifico logistics centre as a gateway to Latin America Maersk opened a new 20,394 sq m logistics facility in Panama Pacifico designed to serve as a centralized distribution hub for Latin America, North America, and Asia.

• Located within a Special Economic Zone on Panama's Pacific side, the facility offers strategic advantages including duty exemptions, no storage time limits, and the ability to handle both nationalized and non-nationalized cargo while maintaining country-of-origin status.

• The facility features 10,952 pallet positions for rack storage, multimodal connectivity through ocean, land, and air transport, and direct access to the Pan-American Highway and Panama Canal Railway.

• Equipped with Maersk's Warehouse Management System, the centre enables real-time inventory visibility and omni-channel fulfillment across multiple countries, helping companies streamline regional distribution and accelerate time-to-market throughout Latin America. (Maersk)

SeaCube Cold Solutions partners with The Wonderful Company to expand cold chain footprint in California SeaCube Cold Solutions has partnered with The Wonderful Company to establish a primary depot in Shafter, California, strengthening its presence in the U.S. Southwest.

• The facility, located at The Wonderful Company's logistics center, will serve as SeaCube's central California hub for cold chain services, providing storage, maintenance, and repair for refrigerated containers.

• Positioned in California's Central Valley, a critical agricultural region, the depot offers strategic proximity to key food producers and distributors while serving a 250-mile radius extending across the West Coast, Arizona, and Nevada.

• Unlike traditional fixed cold storage infrastructure, SeaCube's portable reefer containers provide scalable cold storage capacity that can adapt to seasonal fluctuations common in agricultural regions.

• The partnership leverages SeaCube Container Leasing's three decades of refrigerated equipment experience and provides The Wonderful Company with flexible cold storage solutions during market fluctuations. (Freight Waves)

GIF invests in Keep IT Cool's African cold chain solution The Global Innovation Fund (GIF) has invested in Keep IT Cool (KIC), a Nairobi-based startup revolutionizing supply chains for underserved fishing communities and smallholder farmers in Kenya and Uganda.

• KIC's smart distribution platform, Markiti, provides sustainable refrigeration solutions that extend produce shelf life, reduce spoilage, and create stable incomes for fisherfolk who currently lose up to half their daily catch due to inadequate cold storage.

• Founded by Francis Nderitu, KIC won the 2024 Earthshot Prize for Building a Waste-Free World.

• The platform enhances supply chain efficiency by 98% and cuts carbon emissions by 51% through solar-powered coolers and hybrid trucks.

• KIC is developing Kenya's largest solar-powered cold chain hub to increase cooling capacity sevenfold, alongside new distribution centers in Nakuru and Kisumu.

• KIC plans to expand across East Africa, targeting poultry, fruit, and vegetables sectors while improving livelihoods for 1.6 million people by 2030. (Global Innovation Fund)

Other headlines

Maersk's Ruakura Cold Store in New Zealand becomes the first cold storage facility to achieve the country's highest 6 Star Green Star sustainability rating, featuring advanced decarbonisation technologies including CO₂ refrigeration systems and 1.52MW solar energy generation.

MSC Air Cargo approves Swiss Airtainer's RKN container for global operations, joining LATAM Cargo and United Cargo in adopting the sustainable cold chain solution that reduces CO₂ emissions by up to 40% for pharmaceutical logistics.

Identiv and InPlay have partnered to develop BLE-enabled smart labels costing $1-2 each that can be read by smartphones to provide real-time temperature monitoring for pharmaceutical cold chain tracking.

Carrier Transicold launches two new Supra High Efficiency truck-mounted refrigeration units featuring up to 32% increased evaporator airflow, reduced fuel consumption, and multi-temperature capabilities for double or triple-compartment configurations.

PortMiami and partners break ground on a $141 million, 340,000 sq ft phytosanitary treatment and cold chain facility that will be Florida's first and the US's largest, capable of treating over 20,000 TEUs annually using USDA-approved chemical-free technology.

Haryana's Agriculture Minister announces plans to build large cold storage facilities in every district with 35% subsidies to prevent produce spoilage and enhance farmers' pricing power.

The European refrigeration safety standard EN 378 is being revised with draft prEN 378:2026 available for public comment until August 26, 2025, through the BSI online portal.

That’s it for this week!

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