Vetter to Expand German Warehouse, Doubling Cool Storage Capacity

The contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) Vetter has announced an expansion of its pharmaceutical materials warehouse in Ravensburg, Germany that will more than double the company’s cool storage capacity, adding 16,000 pallet spaces to an existing 13,000 already on site (1). The new storage space will include chest and walk-in freezer capacity that Vetter said is being designed specifically for high-profile pharmaceutical materials and associated products.

Vetter said groundbreaking for the expansion began in late 2024, but the March 11, 2025 announcement confirms a further €150 million (US$163 million) investment, the company said, that responds to increasing market demand and will result in an eventual 68,000 pallet spaces at the Ravensburg site covering multiple temperature requirements (1).

“Since the opening of our Center for Visual Inspection and Logistics in 2012, we have been on a continuous journey to enhance our storage capabilities for both room temperature and cold storage,” Carsten Press, Vetter managing director, said in a company press release (1). “The latest phase of construction marks a strategic step in our warehouse development, driven by the increasing need for cool chain due to the many temperature-sensitive medications.”

According to the press release, the first milestone of the high-bay warehouse expansion—the completion of the shell of the 22,500-square-meter building (more than 242,000 square feet)—is expected by the fourth quarter of 2026 (1). Vetter plans to have the additional storage space fully operational in 2028. Other features will include sample storage for stability testing, both manual and automated visual inspection rooms, and a data center.

“The growing need for cool storage for innovative drug products increases the demand for additional storage space,” Timo Usinger, senior vice president, Supply Chain Management, Vetter, said in the press release (1). “As a result, the new facility will be fully cooled. We are using the latest automation and digitalization technology, such as advanced monitoring systems and fully automated pallet storage and retrieval.”

In the September 2024 edition of Pharmaceutical Technology®’s Drug Solutions Podcast, Jörg Zimmermann, vice president of Vetter Development Service, spoke primarily on the topic of advancements in fill/finish, but also touched upon factors that are driving the growth of the CDMO market, including Vetter’s practices to meet demand, as the company said it is aiming to do with the Germany warehouse expansion (1,2). Zimmerman also discussed best practices for partner selection, and how partner companies can ensure a balance between demand and quality, in the episode.

Pharmaceutical Technology®’s Ask the Expert series also interviewed a Vetter executive, vice president Visual Inspection, Assembly & Secondary Packaging, Dirk Margosch, in January 2025 (3). Margosch addressed steps to be taken to mitigate risk in future batches of vials during secondary packaging, after defective units have been found during an inspection. A thorough investigation, he said, should be performed in this case.

“This should involve reviewing all processes related to production,” Margosch said in the interview. “That means aseptic filling, visual inspection, assembly and secondary packaging, of course, always including the relevant packaging components. And then second, define the right preventive action.”

View the rest of Margosch’s interview at this link.

The full Drug Solutions Podcast episode featuring Jörg Zimmermann can also be accessed online.

References

1. Vetter. Vetter Boosts Pharmaceutical Storage Capacity with Major Warehouse Expansion. Press Release. March 11, 2025.
2. Thomas, F. Drug Solutions Podcast: Meeting Industry Needs: Fill/Finish Advances from a CDMO Perspective. PharmTech.com, Sept. 10, 2024.
3. Haigney, S., and Thomas, F. Ask the Expert: Product Inspection, Part One; Risk Mitigation in Secondary Packaging. PharmTech.com, Jan. 23, 2025.