ThermoSafe Expands US-Based VIP Manufacturing

ThermoSafe announced that it is expanding its US-based manufacturing capabilities for vacuum insulated panels (VIPs) to strengthen supply assurance for pharmaceutical and biotech customers as global sourcing pressures and supply chain risks continue to evolve.¹

The company framed the investment around supply chain risk. By bringing more VIP production in-house and onshore, ThermoSafe says it can reduce customers’ dependence on overseas suppliers, shorten lead times, and deliver more consistent thermal performance, ultimately providing increased packaging reliability in an era of projected temperature-sensitive medicine growth.

According to Jim Lassiter, president and CEO of ThermoSafe, “Control has become one of the most valuable assets in today’s supply chain. By expanding our US-based VIP manufacturing, we are giving pharma and biotech customers the ability to reduce dependency, respond faster to change, and operate with greater confidence in how their temperature-sensitive products are protected.”¹

Why Are VIPs the Fastest-Growing Cold Chain Packaging Technology?

The timing of the expansion reflects broader structural forces reshaping the pharmaceutical cold chain. According to Grand View Research, the vacuum insulated panels segment is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 14.2% from 2026 to 2033, the fastest rate of any product category in the cold chain packaging market.²

Grand View Research further notes that the cold chain packaging market is expected to reach $93.1 billion in 2033, a stark increase from its $33.7 billion valuation in 2025. North America dominated the cold chain packaging market with the largest revenue share of over 32% in 2025, driven by biopharma innovation and demand for temperature-sensitive drugs.²

The technology offers superior thermal performance compared to expanded polystyrene or polyurethane foam alternatives, enabling packaging configurations that are smaller, lighter, and capable of maintaining target temperatures over longer distribution windows, which is a critical attribute for high-value biologics and cell and gene therapies moving across extended or complex lanes. Within thermal packaging architectures, VIPs represent the passive tier built for maximum duration performance.

Why Is Domestic Manufacturing a Priority for Cold Chain Suppliers?

ThermoSafe’s expansion reflects a broader industry shift toward supply chain control. The company cited supply disruption, extended lead times, and variability in product performance as key risks its US-based VIP manufacturing is designed to address.¹ Domestic production, the company says, reduces reliance on overseas suppliers for a component that cannot be easily substituted mid-distribution cycle, while closer manufacturing control supports more consistent panel performance.¹

ThermoSafe’s vertically integrated model also enables close collaboration with customers across package design, qualification, and implementation — helping ensure solutions are aligned to real-world distribution conditions and operational requirements, rather than theoretical performance benchmarks.¹ The company says greater visibility and process control across its domestic supply base further helps customers minimize the potential for temperature excursions and product loss.¹

What Does the Expansion Include?

According to the company’s announcement, the US manufacturing expansion supports five customer-facing priorities: supply continuity through reduced reliance on overseas VIP suppliers; faster response times enabled by domestic production and shorter lead times; consistent VIP performance supported by tighter in-house manufacturing controls; scalable flexibility across a broad range of packaging configurations and shipment profiles; and reduced operational risk through greater visibility and process control, aimed at minimizing temperature excursions and product loss.¹

ThermoSafe also noted that its vertically integrated approach enables direct collaboration with customers across package design, qualification, and implementation — a capability it says helps ensure solutions are validated against real-world distribution conditions.

Why Is Packaging Reliability Important Now?

As the biologics and cell and gene therapy pipeline expands, the stakes of cold chain packaging performance have risen considerably. Unlike many small-molecule drugs, biologics and cell and gene therapies are highly sensitive to temperature deviations — a single excursion can render a therapy ineffective or unsalvageable, and in some cases, harmful for patients.³ Currently, there are more than 2,200 cell and gene therapies in development worldwide, with more than 60 therapies expected to receive approvals by 2030.⁴ That trajectory makes supply assurance for packaging components like VIPs a front-line risk management priority, not a secondary procurement consideration.

References

1. ThermoSafe Expands U.S. Based VIP Manufacturing to Strengthen Cold Chain Supply Assurance for Life Sciences Customers. ThermoSafe. Published May 26, 2026. Accessed June 1, 2026. https://thermosafe.com/news/thermosafe-expands-u-s-based-vip-manufacturing-to-strengthen-cold-chain-supply-assurance-for-life-sciences-customers/
2. Cold Chain Packaging Market Size | Industry Report, 2033. Grand View Research. Accessed June 1, 2026. https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/cold-chain-packaging-market
3. Yu YB, Briggs KT, Taraban MB, Brinson RG, Marino JP. Grand challenges in pharmaceutical research series: ridding the cold chain for biologics. Pharm Res. 2021;38(1):3-7. doi:10.1007/s11095-021-03008-w. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7869771/
4. AGC Biologics. Trends shaping the future of cell and gene therapy manufacturing. AGC Biologics Biopharma Blog. Published October 29, 2025. Accessed June 2, 2026. https://www.agcbio.com/biopharma-blog/trends-shaping-the-future-of-cell-and-gene-therapy-manufacturing