UAB Tamro, one of the largest pharmaceutical logistics companies and pharmacy managers in Lithuania, selected the territory of the Kaunas Free Economic Zone (FEZ) for its development. Its premises are being built on a 25,000 acres plot of land where, according to Tamro representatives, the company will be able to realise its planned growth and offer even more services to existing and new customers.
Tamro will rent this new building from UAB Eika Real Estate Fund, managed by the investment company Eika Asset Management: according to the agreement, this developer will not only build a “built-to-suit” type building, meeting the needs of the customer, in the territory of Kaunas FEZ. They will also acquire the building in Kaunas currently owned by the company.
Tamro, which has been operating in Kaunas for almost three decades, was the first non-Lithuanian capital wholesale drug distribution company in Lithuania. Tamro Baltics, which owns UAB Tamro, is currently one of the largest pharmaceutical distributors in the Baltic States, providing comprehensive wholesale services to deliver medicines and other products to pharmacies and hospitals. Modern and digitised supply services cover the entire logistic chain – from warehousing, transportation, goods management to account management. Tamro Baltics has an annual turnover of €480 million and 1,200 employees working in wholesale and retail trade.
“The decision to move to new premises is a logical and timely step that we have been looking forward to for some time. We have many years of consistent and successful work experience – so, naturally, it is time to expand. We always try to provide our customers with the highest possible quality of services, and the new logistics centre will allow us to raise the bar even higher. Moreover, after moving to more spacious premises, we will be able to offer even more services to existing and new customers. At the same time, I would like to express my delight that all the Tamro employees in Lithuania working in the office will be able to do so in a more convenient and modern environment,” says Rasa Montvilė, Country Manager of Tamro.
When choosing where to relocate the expanding Tamro, Kaunas FEZ was a natural choice due to its attractive infrastructure for business and employees, as well as especially favourable location for distribution: the territory is located near the intersection of A1 and A6, highways of national and international importance, thus ensuring convenient access to many Lithuanian cities and European countries.
This will be the first project of the Eika Real Estate Fund, managed by Eika Asset Management, in Kaunas FEZ and, according to the company’s representatives, certainly not the last. As CEO of the company, Viktorija Orkinė, observes: “The transaction signed with Tamro is characterised by extremely high tenant requirements for the technical parameters, implementation deadlines, and location of the project. The latter requirement was facilitated by the territory of Kaunas FEZ with its well-developed infrastructure and excellent communication.”
Dalia Celencevičiūtė, Head of the Life Sciences Team at Invest Lithuania, observes that such development projects are a testament to positive trends in this sector, which is of particular importance for Lithuania: “We are very happy that companies located in Lithuania for so many years see an opportunity to expand here, taking advantage not only of the excellent business environment, but also the existing infrastructure. This expansion will also contribute to the development of the entire Life Sciences ecosystem”.
Pharmaceutical logistics – a highly demanding sector
Tamro will be the second pharmaceutical wholesaler operating in Kaunas FEZ: since 2019, UAB ABC Farma, a pharmaceutical products wholesaler, has been established and successfully operates here, providing pharmaceutical warehousing and logistics services to clients from all over the world.
Among the oldest residents of the Kaunas FEZ is the Lithuanian-capital pharmaceutical company UAB Aconitum, which develops, manufactures, and supplies to the market herbal non-prescription and prescription medicinal products, homeopathic products, and food supplements.
“The pharmaceutical logistics sector is highly innovative and demanding; therefore, the development of this sector in the FEZ shows the high logistic attractiveness of the territory and a favourable environment for business. The transaction and establishment of the Phoenix group company Tamro with Eika Real Estate Fund and their establishment in Kaunas FEZ is clear proof of the successful and progressive development of the FEZ business community,” says Vytautas Petružis, Director of the Kaunas FEZ Management Company.