Natura, a leading Brazilian manufacturer of skin care, cosmetics, perfume, hair care and other beauty products, recently announced the opening of its first distribution center in Parana, Brazil, withPenske Logistics South America selected to manage the operation.
The facility is located in Sao Jose dos Pinhais, near the metropolitan area of Curitiba. The building will supply Natura’s sales growth in the southern region and to improve services provided to Natura’s door-to-door sales consultants.
The announcement is part of a new logistics model developed by Natura in 2010, which aims to reduce its carbon footprint. Natura focuses on providing eco-friendly products and sustainable operations.
“The project consolidates our relationship with the Parana market, and speeds up our delivery time to our sales team,” explained Alexandre Lemos, Natura south region commercial director. Located in the Contorno Leste, the new distribution center has proximity to major highways.
“We are proud of our management model improvements in the past years,” said Joao Paulo Ferreira, operation and logistics VP for Natura. “This is a key initiative for us, as it is a challenge to continue growing at the same time reducing our environment impact, and also do it alongside our suppliers.”
The new distribution center, whose operation will be run with Penske Logistics as a partner, will supply the Parana and Santa Catarina markets.
According to Paulo Sarti, managing director of Penske Logistics South America, the relationship with Natura is important to consolidate the company’s strategy in the country, focused in the regional expansion.
“We enter the logistics market in the Southern area of Brazil with a client that requires a high level of quality and commitment, which reinforces our expertise in running successful logistics and warehouse operations,” explained Sarti.
The new facility will operate with some 200 employees divided in two-shift teams.
With 10,700 square meters, the distribution center will enable products to be delivered much faster to thousands of Natura consultants in the region.
The new distribution center operation ensures a lower environmental impact due to the reduction in CO2 and other polluting gases issued by the vehicles to transport the products.
Going forward, the items will go directly from Sao Paulo to Sao Jose dos Pinhais distribution center. After separating and packing, the items will be collected by a local carrier that utilizes lightweight vehicles to deliver the products directly to the homes of Natura sales consultants.
The key differentiator of this new Natura facility is in the technology being applied. Among the eight distribution centers across Brazil, two of them are in the southern region of the country; the Parana location utilizes state-of-the-art technology.
Penske is responsible for receiving, warehouse management and invoicing products. To ensure the products are correctly handled, Penske Logistics has an on-site certified pharmacist technician for quality control.
In Brazil, pharmaceutical companies and cosmetics companies are required to possess an Anvisa license. Penske holds an Anvisa certification.
Penske’s Cajamar distribution center now features special thermostat-monitored warehouses and a continuous improvement program. The quality of the goods will be inspected constantly by an on-site pharmacist technician, who trains workers in safe and proper storage, handling and transportation practices.
By “Move Ahead” Staff