Pittsburgh-based pharmacy company plans to open distribution center in Collierville

Corey Davis, Memphis Commercial Appeal

A Pittsburgh-based pharmaceutical manufacturing firm plans to open a new Collierville distribution center in the early first quarter of 2025 and eventually bring 120 jobs to the town.

PANTHERx Rare Pharmacy, state and local leaders made the official announcement Wednesday during an event at Collierville Town Hall. Jamie Stitt, assistant commissioner of business and workforce development for the state of Tennessee, said PANTHERx Rare Pharmacy plans to make a $4 million capital investment in Collierville.

"This company will complement and enhance the healthcare industry here in Collierville and across the state of Tennessee," Stitt said. "We are very blessed to have a company of this nature here."

Chief Operating Officer David Loschinskey speaks during a press conference announcing PANTHERx Rare Pharmacy's plans for a distribution facility in Collierville. The facility is expected to open in early 2025.
Chief Operating Officer David Loschinskey speaks during a press conference announcing PANTHERx Rare Pharmacy's plans for a distribution facility in Collierville. The facility is expected to open in early 2025.

PANTHERx, which was founded in 2011, is a leading rare disease specialty pharmacy. The company provides pharmacy services and related pharmaceutical product distribution to customers across the country. The firm has more than 600 employees primarily in Western Pennsylvania, according to David Loschinskey, chief operating officer of PANTHERx.

This is the company's first Tennessee's facility, and PANTHERx projects it will dispense 600,000 prescriptions over the next five years from the Collierville site at 280 Moore Lane.

"A professional company moving in with such high standing, it can't help but to be a great thing for the Town of Collierville," Mayor Stan Joyner said.

PANTHERx Rare Pharmacy’s new distribution facility is expected to have 25 employees to start at the site in 2025. The company is anticipated to grow to 120 employees at the facility by 2030.

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While PANTHERx officials couldn't provide salary details Wednesday, they previously were touted as high-paying jobs.

Mike Hess, an attorney representing the pharmacy, said during an April 4 planning commission meeting, that employees at the site would make an average salary of $80,000. Employees will include pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and nurses for some of the company services as well.

Collierville Mayor Stan Joyner speaks during a press conference announcing PANTHERx Rare Pharmacy's plans for a distribution facility in Collierville. The facility is expected to open in early 2025 and eventually create 120 jobs.
Collierville Mayor Stan Joyner speaks during a press conference announcing PANTHERx Rare Pharmacy's plans for a distribution facility in Collierville. The facility is expected to open in early 2025 and eventually create 120 jobs.

"These are interesting jobs and many are pharmacists and technical jobs that pay more plus benefits," Loschinskey said. "We envisioned really being a rich and vibrant contribution to an already great community."

Loschinskey said PANTHERx believed Collierville was the ideal area for its business model.

"We just like the close-knit community feel of it," he said. "We think there are a lot of similarities in workforce (as like Pittsburgh). We need pharmacists and we need a lot of skilled workforce that already exists in the town and those that would want to relocate to the town given the amenities such as parks and recreation and schools, that type of stuff."

PANTHERx Rare Pharmacy plans to open a distribution facility at 280 Moore Lane in Collierville in early 2025.
PANTHERx Rare Pharmacy plans to open a distribution facility at 280 Moore Lane in Collierville in early 2025.

The Collierville Board of Mayor and Aldermen had unanimously approved a conditional use permit in April for PANTHERx Rare Pharmacy to take over the existing warehouse building at 280 Moore Lane.

PANTHERx had requested a conditional use permit to allow for the assembly, processing, storage and distribution of drugs out of a 38,700-square-foot distribution facility. The building is on a 4-acre site and previously housed safety equipment supplier Pyramex Safety Products before it moved to Piperton.

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According to a news release, the warehouse also has an 8,000-square-foot built-in refrigerator/freezer space to house temperature-sensitive medications, with a capacity of more than 1.5 million shipments annually. The facility will be a service hub to provide 24/7 support to patients and their healthcare providers. The facility will become the second licensed pharmacy and packing and dispensing location for PANTHERx Rare.

Corey Davis is the Collierville and Germantown reporter with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at Corey.Davis@commercialappeal.com or 901-293-1610.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: PANTHERx Rare Pharmacy to open distribution center in Collierville, TN

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