DHL Supply Chain has completed a one-million-square-foot distribution center of excellence located in central Pennsylvania, saying the facility will expand the company’s life sciences & healthcare capabilities.
Scheduled to open in 2026, the facility in Annville, near Harrisburg, will operate as a Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ), addressing the growing demand for tariff mitigation and expedited customs processing. It will also enable MedTech and pharmaceutical companies to leverage pre-certification opportunities and streamline regulatory coordination with agencies such as the FDA and USDA, DHL said.
The site has capacity for 100 dock doors, 230 trailer parking stalls, and 250 employee parking spaces. The new life sciences fulfillment center features FDA and GMP-compliant infrastructure, and advanced temperature-controlled environments for biologics and specialty drugs. It also includes energy-efficient systems, solar power integration, and EV charging stations.
The investment comes as the U.S. pharmaceutical logistics sector is forecasted to grow at an annual rate of eight percent, and companies in the sector struggle to navigate increasingly complex business conditions.
“As pharmaceutical companies navigate tariff changes, rising demand for temperature-controlled infrastructure, and strict regulatory compliance, they need logistics partners with proven expertise,” Mark Kunar, CEO of DHL Supply Chain North America, said in a release. “The East Coast Center of Excellence is a critical next step in delivering scalable, end-to-end solutions for the healthcare industry.”
