Frigo-trans Gmbh, Internationale Spedition

What Frigo-trans Gmbh, Internationale Spedition does

Frigo-Trans GmbH is a German privately-held pharmaceutical logistics specialist founded in 1988 and headquartered in Fußgönheim, Germany. The company provides temperature-controlled transport and GDP-compliant storage of pharmaceutical, biotech, and clinical-trial materials across Europe, serving 350-400 pharmaceutical wholesalers weekly with its own fleet of 40 tractor units, 120 Pharma-Liner refrigerated trailers, 16 refrigerated transporters, and 11 express vehicles, supplemented by qualified subcontractor partners.

The core technology stack is the proprietary Pharma-Liner® trailer fleet and the award-winning Cool Chain Control System — a unified monitoring platform combining 6 calibrated temperature sensors per trailer, GPRS-controlled safety locking, real-time arrival calculation, RFID access control, 24/7 video surveillance, and a customer-oriented API plus WebSped online booking portal. Storage infrastructure spans approximately 37,500 sqm across the Fußgönheim headquarters (TAPA FSR A, 2015) and the Mutterstadt Pharma-Logistikcenter (TAPA FSR B, opened September 2021), covering the full pharmaceutical temperature range from -196°C cryopreservation (launched Q1 2023 via Cryotherm partnership, 24 liquid-nitrogen containers) through -75°C/-40°C deep freeze to +2°C–+8°C and +15°C–+25°C. The portfolio also includes an in-house calibration laboratory (operational May 2022), passive cooling transport packaging, customs clearing, and worldwide clinical trial shipments. Quality assurance is anchored by the unique combination of GDP, TAPA TSR 1, TAPA FSR A, §52a AMG wholesale authorization, Regulated Agent status, ISO 9001/14001/50001/13485/27001, and SQAS attestations, all concentrated at the Fußgönheim site.

The business model combines transaction-fee transport services (multi-year contracts, quote-based pricing tailored to customer requirements) with recurring warehousing subscription revenue from pallet storage across multiple temperature zones, supplemented by clinical trial shipment fees, customs clearing professional services, and cryopreservation storage. Customer segments are vertical-focused on the pharmaceutical industry (primary), biotechnology companies requiring -196°C cryopreservation, and medical research institutions conducting clinical trials. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales with direct customer consultation, complemented by participation in industry events (LogiPharma, European Biomanufacturing Summit, TAPA EMEA) and content marketing via a bilingual corporate website. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; engagements are structured as customized care packages. The company is led by co-managing directors Reiner Roß and Martin Krasinski, who assumed leadership in 2019 from founders Walter Buchholz and Peter Norheimer.

Name

Frigo-trans Gmbh, Internationale Spedition

Legal name

Frigo-Trans GmbH

Website

https://frigo-trans.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Frigo-Trans GmbH is a German privately-held pharmaceutical logistics specialist founded in 1988, providing GDP-compliant temperature-controlled transport and storage across Europe using a proprietary Pharma-Liner fleet and qualified warehousing spanning -196°C to +25°C.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pharmaceutical Cold Chain Logistics Services

NAICS

Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage (493120)

akta.pro primary industry

Pharmaceutical & Biopharma Cold Chain Logistics (2–8°C, CRT, GDP) (TLAIAIAA)

Keywords

• Pharmaceutical logistics
• Cold chain transport
• Temperature-controlled warehousing
• GDP-compliant distribution
• Cryopreservation storage

Headquarters

HQ city

Fußgönheim

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Temperature-Controlled Transport Services: GDP-compliant pharmaceutical transport services throughout Europe using Pharma-Liner fleet. Includes refrigerated trucks, express rides, and secure transports meeting TAPA TSR 1 standards.
2. Pharmaceutical Warehousing: GDP-qualified storage facilities covering all pharma-relevant temperature ranges (-196°C to +25°C). Includes warehouse space rental, cross-docking, and inventory management services.
3. Clinical Trial Shipments: Worldwide clinical trials shipment services for pharmaceutical companies.
4. Customs Clearing Services: Import and export customs clearance formalities handling.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Frigo-Trans provides integrated temperature-controlled pharmaceutical logistics across Europe, combining GDP-compliant refrigerated road transport via the proprietary Pharma-Liner® fleet with multi-temperature warehousing at the Fußgönheim and Mutterstadt Pharma-Logistikcenter locations spanning -196°C to +25°C. The offering is rounded out by cryopreservation storage, customs clearing, worldwide clinical trial shipments, passive cooling transport packaging, and an in-house calibration laboratory, all under a Cool Chain Control System for real-time temperature and security monitoring.

Product overview

Frigo-trans GmbH is a pharmaceutical logistics company offering integrated cold chain solutions with a portfolio of proprietary and add-on products. The core offering centers on the Pharma-Liner® temperature-controlled transport fleet and the Cool Chain Control System monitoring platform, complemented by GDP-qualified warehousing at multiple Pharma-Logistikcenter facilities. Additional specialized services include cryopreservation storage at -196°C, passive cooling transport packaging, in-house calibration laboratory services, and worldwide clinical trials shipments. The WebSped online booking portal provides customers with protected access for shipment management. All services are designed to maintain unbroken cold chains across pharmaceutical temperature ranges from -196°C to +25°C.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pharma-Liner®: Proprietary temperature-controlled transport unit fleet developed by Frigo-Trans for pharmaceutical goods transport, TAPA TSR 1 certified, featuring bi-temperature zone loading, 6 calibrated temperature sensors, and GPRS-controlled safety-locking system.
• Cool Chain Control System
• Cryosafe

Products and services

• Pharma-Liner® Temperature-Controlled Transport Service Proprietary pharmaceutical road transport service using a TAPA TSR 1 certified Pharma-Liner® fleet with bi-temperature zone loading, 6 calibrated temperature sensors per trailer, redundant data loggers, and GPRS-controlled safety-locking systems. Operated by GDP-trained drivers with secure route planning and GEO-fencing for European-wide pharmaceutical shipments.
• Cool Chain Control System Integrated monitoring and control platform that combines the Pharma-Liner® fleet with state-of-the-art measurement and safety technology, GDP-trained employees, and qualified storage areas across all pharma-relevant temperature ranges. Features real-time temperature monitoring, customer-oriented API integration, real-time scanner technology, real-time arrival time calculation, RFID access control, and 24/7 video-monitored warehouses and loading zones.
• Pharma-Logistikcenter (Multi-Temperature Warehousing) GDP-qualified multi-temperature warehousing service covering all pharma-relevant temperature ranges (-196°C, -75°C, -40°C, -20°C, +2°C to +8°C, +15°C to +25°C) at the Fußgönheim and Mutterstadt facilities, both with 24/7 video surveillance, TAPA-compliant perimeter security, RFID access control, and qualified storage areas.
• Cryopreservation Service (-196°C) Ultra-low temperature cryopreservation storage and transport service using deeply cold liquefied nitrogen at temperatures down to -190°C in the gas phase, located at the Mutterstadt site. Equipped with BIOSAFE® smart monitoring, RFID-based access control, and 24 specialized cryogenic containers from Cryotherm GmbH & Co. KG.
• Passive Cooling Transport Packaging Passive cooling transport packaging solutions available in multiple temperature variants (+5°C, +20°C, -20°C, -75°C, -196°C) and sizes, providing secure interim storage and transport for highly temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical and biotech products.
• Kalibrierlabor (Calibration Laboratory) In-house calibration laboratory at the Mutterstadt location providing temperature sensor reliability testing and verification for refrigerated transports, supporting GDP/GxP compliance and the company's redundant temperature monitoring across transport and warehousing.
• Clinical Trials Shipments Worldwide clinical trials shipment service for pharmaceutical companies and CROs, handling temperature-sensitive biological and medical products including vaccines, IMPs, and biological samples for long-term deep-freeze storage and delivery.
• Customs Clearing Services Import and export customs clearance formalities handling supporting cross-border pharmaceutical shipments within Europe and worldwide clinical trial logistics.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% safety and flexibility guaranteed
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• BPL – Biotech & Pharma LogisticsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 September 2024Joint attendance at the European Biomanufacturing Summit September 10-11, 2024 in Berlin. Frigo-Trans Head of Quality Management Klaus Kauer shared insights on maintaining product integrity and security in the biopharma supply chain. Collaborative marketing presence at industry event.
• Cryotherm GmbH & Co. KGcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 September 2022Technology partnership for cryopreservation services. Cryotherm provides deep-freeze liquid nitrogen storage containers and specialized transport containers (BIOSAFE MARATHON). Network-capable containers equipped with BIOSAFE smart monitoring system and BIOSAFE iTrack Premium software for secure transparent storage.
• Haus + Co. Projektmanagement GmbHminorOthersConstruction partner for the new Pharma-Logistikcenter in Mutterstadt. Developed approximately 19,522 sqm facility on 3.25 hectares completed in September 2021 after 10 months of construction.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• DHL Supply Chain (Life Sciences & Healthcare): Global #1 contract logistics provider with a dedicated Life Sciences & Healthcare vertical. Operates GDP-certified pharma warehousing and temperature-controlled transport across Europe. Comparable to Frigo-Trans as a pharma cold chain 3PL, but at vastly larger scale and broader service scope.
• UPS Healthcare (Marken): UPS Healthcare, augmented by the Marken acquisition, provides global time-sensitive and temperature-controlled pharma logistics with strong clinical trial capabilities. Comparable to Frigo-Trans for both commercial pharma transport and worldwide clinical trial shipments.
• CEVA Logistics (Healthcare): Global 3PL with a dedicated Healthcare vertical covering pharma cold chain warehousing and transport. Competes with Frigo-Trans for European pharma contract logistics RFPs at scale.
• Yusen Logistics (Pharma & Healthcare): Global logistics provider with a dedicated Healthcare & Pharma vertical offering temperature-controlled transport and warehousing. Comparable in mid-market positioning to Frigo-Trans for European pharma cold chain 3PL work.
• DSV (Healthcare / Pharma & Healthcare): Global transport and logistics company with a Pharma & Healthcare vertical providing GDP-compliant cold chain solutions. Competes for European pharma transport and warehousing business with broader network reach than Frigo-Trans.
• FedEx Custom Critical & Healthcare Solutions: FedEx Custom Critical and FedEx Healthcare Solutions serve time-critical and temperature-sensitive pharma shipments globally. Direct overlap with Frigo-Trans in high-value, time-definite pharmaceutical transport.
• Kuehne+Nagel (KN PharmaChain): One of the leading global freight forwarders with KN PharmaChain, a dedicated GDP-compliant pharma logistics offering covering airfreight, seafreight, road, and contract logistics. Directly competes with Frigo-Trans for pan-European pharma transport RFPs.

Direct peers

• BPL – Biotech & Pharma Logistics: Biotech & pharma logistics specialist, explicitly named by Frigo-Trans as a joint event partner at the 2024 European Biomanufacturing Summit. Highly comparable niche peer competing for biotech and pharma cold chain customers in Europe.
• World Courier (Cencora / AmerisourceBergen): Specialist pharma logistics and clinical trial supply chain provider, owned by Cencora. Highly comparable to Frigo-Trans in clinical trial shipments and high-touch pharma distribution, with broader global reach.
• Hellmann Worldwide Logistics (Healthcare Logistics): Germany-headquartered global logistics provider with a Healthcare & Life Sciences division offering GDP-compliant pharma transport and warehousing. Most directly comparable mid-to-large European peer to Frigo-Trans, sharing German origin and pharma specialization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCn7ThT-A8_2RgW_JzFRYRDA/featured
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/frigo-trans-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/frigotransgmbh

Compliance12 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Frigo-trans Gmbh, Internationale Spedition