Sonoco ThermoSafe contract to provide transportation options

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Sonoco ThermoSafe, a unit of Sonoco and a leading global provider of temperature assurance packaging, has formed a partnership with Cathay Pacific Cargo to lease a controlled bulk shipping container, the PharmaPort 360. The agreement enables pharmaceutical shippers to lease the containers directly from Cathay Pacific Cargo.

The PharmaPort 360, a product of Sonoco ThermoSafe, provides precise, long-duration temperature control for biopharmaceutical companies. Its hybrid technology allows it to operate on battery power longer than competing units used for bulk air shipments, and it eliminates the need for refrigerated trucks for lengthy transports. The PharmaPort 360 also contains a Federal Aviation Administration-approved telemetry system, providing real-time, GPS-synchronized payload data.

Cathay Pacific Cargo is the first carrier to sign a direct contract with Sonoco ThermoSafe.

“Sonoco recently topped the list of Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies in the packaging sector. Its reputation for quality perfectly aligns with our own high standards for service delivery,” said Frosti Lau, general manager of cargo service delivery for Cathay Pacific Cargo, in a news release. “We are delighted to have this unique and world’s first partnership with Sonoco ThermoSafe, and we are confident this collaboration will provide our customers with a consistent solution for the transportation of vital and life-saving pharmaceutical products.”

Sonoco ThermoSafe, a unit of Hartsville-based Sonoco, provides packaging for the safe and efficient transport of pharmaceuticals, biologics, vaccines and other temperature-sensitive products. 

“This partnership enables the pharmaceutical supply chain to now directly lease from Cathay Pacific Cargo the best-in-class PharmaPort 360 temperature control containers, on a one-way lease basis across the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific regions,” said Vishal Khushalani, director of global marketing and business development for Sonoco Protective Solutions.