SINGAPORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cook Medical officially opened its new state of the art South Asia Distribution Centre (SADC) in Singapore on 30th November 2016. The new facility is part of a rapid expansion of Cook Medical’s supply chain aimed to meet increasing product demand across Asia Pacific (APAC).
The 2,500 square metre warehouse and distribution facility will supply all of Cook Medical’s customers across APAC including Cook’s regional sites located in India, Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand and Hong Kong.
Barry Thomas, Vice President Cook Inc., and Director, Cook Medical APAC said the SADC will enable Cook Medical to become more responsive to customer needs.
“The focus here is on our customers and their patients and from this location we are now able to deliver goods anywhere in the region within 24 hours,” said Mr Thomas.
“The opening of the SADC is an important step in the transformation of Cook Medical’s distribution services across Asia Pacific.”
“The location enables us to expand our distribution so more people in Asia can access our advanced range of minimally invasive medical devices”.
The high-tech facility expands on distribution services provided out of Shanghai, China since 2010. Recent growth in China and across the rest of the region prompted the company to establish a new distribution centre in APAC.
Ross Harvey, Director, Supply Chain – Asia Pacific stated Singapore was chosen because the central location allows Cook to improve the speed of Cook products to hospitals.
“The operational efficiencies of the new Singapore facility will provide significant benefits for Cook Medical that will, in turn, allow us to better meet the needs of our customers.”
“The SADC enables us to reduce dispatch time and lower our costs which we will invest in continuing to improve our services,” said Mr Harvey.
The new world class facility utilises leading edge paperless technology, advanced processes, and benefits from an online customs clearance system which can reduce customs turnaround time to approximately 10 minutes.
“We welcome Cook Medical’s decision to establish its South Asia Distribution Center in Singapore, which is testament to Singapore’s position as a leading logistics hub in Asia. By leveraging on our extensive connectivity, customs infrastructure and ecosystem of supply chain support services, companies are able to improve turnaround times, increase operational efficiencies and accelerate access to markets in the region," said Ms. Weng Si Ho, Director, Biomedical Sciences, Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB).
“We are committed to supporting MedTech companies in establishing strategic supply chain control functions in Singapore and drive value creation from optimized supply chains for the region and beyond.”
“The opening of the new centre has created several local jobs and is expected to grow as operations expand,” said Mr Thomas.
“Our priorities now include the establishment of a customer service team, and the relocation of our In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Media stock we anticipate will be completed in early 2017.”
“We’re very proud of the SADC and we’d like to thank everyone who has been involved in the project over the past year,” Mr Thomas said.
Held on 30th November 2016, the official opening was celebrated with a short ceremony and tour of the facility.
About Cook Medical
Since 1963, Cook Medical has worked with physicians to develop minimally invasive technologies. Today we offer medical devices, biologic materials, biopharmaceuticals, and cellular therapies to deliver better patient outcomes more efficiently. We remain family owned so we can focus on what we care about: patients, our employees, and our communities. Find out more at www.cookmedical.com, and for the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
ENDS
Interviews available with:
Barry Thomas, Vice President, Cook Incorporated and Director – Cook Medical Asia Pacific.
Ross Harvey, Director, Supply Chain – Cook Medical Asia Pacific.
