Archway acquires CSI to build out PDMA marketing fulfillment services

Archway (Rogers, MN), a major player in fulfillment services in consumer goods, food and beverage and prepaid-card industries, has acquired Corporate Services Inc., which has served life sciences companies primarily. With the combination, Archway adds CSI’s one facility, in South Bend, IN, to its network of 21 facilities in 13 metropolitan areas nationwide.

The most direct activity the Archway/CSI combination will address is sample distribution and accountability, meeting the requirements of the Prescription Drug Marketing Act (PDMA) for pharma companies. The company has 4 million sq. ft. of distribution storage capacity, of which 700,000 is secured and temperature-controlled. Rich Rizzardi, SVP at Archway, says that the company’s overall vision is marketing operations management—the combined services to meet the fulfillment requirements of marketing departments in samples, literature and related promotional materials. “We’ll be looking to leverage our technology, providing a better total cost of ownership” of such services, he says. Of particular interest is Archway’s existing business in managing gift cards—a growing part of consumer marketing, and, now with co-pay and other types of patient incentives, a growing part of pharma marketing as well.