Pelican Products, a provider of rugged protective case solutions and advanced portable lighting systems, acquired Plymouth, Minn.-based Minnesota Thermal Science (MTS), a global cold chain logistics leader with patented temperature controlled packaging solutions. MTS will merge with Pelican’s already established BioPharam product division created in 2012. The acquisition deal closed on Dec. 31.
The two companies have been in talks since September about the acquisition, said Sharon Ward, Pelican’s director of public and media relations. Pelican saw value in MTS’ technologies and established presence in the pharmaceutical industry. It also will grow Pelican's bio-pharam division, she said.
“For us, MTS was a company that has solid reputation in creating quality products and services in the bio-pharma space,” Ward said.
In addition to Pelican BioPharma cases that offer 140-plus hours of protecting between 2.0 to 8.0C, customers will have access to the full suite of MTS products. Ward said this includes a reusable Credo Cube, which protects payload contents at defined temperatures. The company also will offer MTS’s Credo Xtreme full pallet that holds 890 liters and the half pallet that holds 406 liters. Ward said a range of services and software to support a reusable temperature controlled packaging solution are available as well.
“MTS’ products fit our portfolio in the pharma space and our company values,” Ward said. “It is something that is lifesaving and is critical if you are shipping diagnostics or vaccines. That’s an area where Pelican saw a niche market where we could bring our quality products, sales and distribution to the table.”
