SCL Cold Chain—an Irving logistics company with temperature-controlled expertise across numerous sectors including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, wine, and boutique foods—has been acquired by RealCold, a rapidly growing national cold chain solutions provider based in Lakeland, Florida.

The acquisition signals RealCold’s entry into chain-of-custody logistics while boosting the services available to its customers, ReaCold said.

The acquisition brings together two companies with similar operating philosophies and commitment to customers, RealCold said. The Florida company said it has built a reputation on creating customized cold chain solutions for food producers, retailers, and distributors nationwide. And with a strong track record in pharmaceuticals and perishables, SCL Cold Chain “also operates with precision, responsiveness, and client dedication,” RealCold said.

SCL Cold Chain President Bryan Severin called the acquisition “a transformative moment for SCL and for our customers.”

“We’ve spent considerable time building something differentiated in the pharmaceutical cold chain, a service that merges operational rigor, an experienced team, and above all, the trust of our clients,” Severin added in a statement. “The opportunity to bring those capabilities to a national audience through RealCold’s platform is extraordinary.”

“With the additional resources and reach that RealCold provides,” he added, “we can significantly expand our customer base. The demand for compliant, end-to-end pharma cold chain is enormous, and we are now positioned to meet it at scale.”

SCL will continue to operate under its existing corporate identity, now as part of RealCold.

Pharmaceutical cold chain expertise

SCL’s team brings extensive experience in pharmaceutical cold chain logistics, including rigorous continuous temperature monitoring, FDA-registered facilities, and end-to-end cold chain custody—capabilities highly sought after by global pharmaceutical companies, RealCold noted.

RealCold also gains SCL’s CEIV (Center of Excellence for Independent Validators) Pharma-certified partner—”a highly respected and demanding accreditation in pharmaceutical logistics.”

SCL also operates as an FDA-registered and Bonded CFS (Customs Freight Station) facility, adhering to the regulatory rigor that pharmaceutical and biologic shippers require.

The Center of Excellence and Bonded CFS credentials complement RealCold’s existing FSMA and SQF certifications that span its network of over 61 million cubic feet of temperature-controlled space with more than 180,000 pallet positions across the United States, the Florida company said.

‘A compelling value proposition’

SCL’s partnership with RealCold unlocks access to resources and a national network that will help the company bring its extensive pharmaceutical cold chain capabilities to customers far beyond its current North Texas footprint.

“From our first conversations with the SCL team, it was clear that they had accomplished something exceptional: they built genuine expertise in a highly specialized and demanding vertical while maintaining exactly the customer-centric mindset that RealCold is known for,” RealCold CEO Keith Goldsmith said in a statement.

SCL’s end-to-end chain-of-custody model and continuous monitoring system combined with RealCold’s logistics platform and scale, offers “a compelling value proposition” for major pharmaceutical manufacturers seeking a reliable, compliant national cold chain partner, the companies said.

Growing the national footprint

Customers of both companies can benefit from a broader and more integrated set of cold chain services, RealCold said. Pharmaceutical customers gain access to RealCold’s national footprint and logistics infrastructure, allowing for fast, reliable delivery of temperature-sensitive medications, biologics, vaccines, and clinical trial materials across the country. Food, produce, wine, and specialty product customers can access a large network of multi-temperature warehouses, value-added services, e-commerce fulfillment capabilities, and dedicated customer success teams.

“This transaction goes beyond an acquisition of capabilities,” Goldsmith said. “It’s an alignment of values, culture, and vision. With RealCold’s capital, national network, and platform, we are positioned to scale SCL’s capabilities to serve the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies in ways that were not previously possible.”

This isn’t RealCold’s first acquisition in North Texas. At the end of 2023, RealCold acquired Denton-based Forte Frozen.

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