Natura inaugurates logistics hub with unprecedented technology on the continent
Innovation increases productivity, provides more agility and reduces CO2 emissions
Investe SP, with information from Natura
On May 5, Natura inaugurated in Itupeva, São Paulo, the most modern logistics hub of the Americas, with unprecedented technology that stands out for allowing the storage of boxes and pallets, managed by a customized WMS software. The project relied on the support from Investe São Paulo, the investment promotion agency associated with the Department of Economic Development, Science, Technology and Innovation of the state of São Paulo. The director of the agency, Emínio Lucci, attended the opening ceremony.
“It is great seeing the accomplishment of another project of Natura. The company was born in São Paulo and still concentrates large part of its investments here, because it knows this is where it finds skilled professionals and the best logistics infrastructure. We have supported all investments made by the company since 2013, and we will do everything for Natura to increasingly grow, contributing to the sustainable economic development of Brazil,” said the president of Investe SP, Juan Quirós.
“The technology allows the assembly of mixed pallets. Thus, the storage space is entirely used, the storage time is shorter and it will allow us to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in trips to the North and Northeast, as we will fill up the trucks as much as we can,” said Josie Peressinoto Romero, vice president of operations and logistics of Natura. Only two other hubs, located in Switzerland and Australia, use the same technology. Investments in equipment totaled R$ 73 million.
Another novelty is the São Paulo 100% automated circuit. This means that a truck specially developed by Natura is loaded in Cajamar with finished products, unloaded at the hub in Itupeva, mounted again with the products requested by the distribution center in São Paulo and finally unloaded in the state capital without any human contact. The process of collection and loading of products in this special truck takes 5 minutes.
“We organize the entire shipment out of the truck and then, through a system of motorized conveyor belts and elevators, we carry it into the truck,” says Angel Medeiros, Director of Logistics Innovation of Natura. The same process, in reverse, is performed when the truck arrives.
A hub is a large warehouse where only finished products are stored. Natura’s hub will store 100% of products manufactured internally and by its partners located in cities close to Itupeva. The shipments will depart from there to eight distribution centers throughout Brazil and also to countries where the company has international operations: Peru, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Chile and France. On average, it should total 60 trucks per day.
“We are in a privileged location. The airport of Viracopos and the port of Santos are near, many of our partners and the main plant of Natura are very close to the hub. Thus, we will manage to drain our production even faster,” said Josie Romero.
To operate the system, approximately 180 direct and indirect jobs were created. The workforce is skilled to make the hub work with the latest technology. The operations should start in May and should handle approximately three thousand pallets per day.
Natura Hub
35,000 square meters of built area
90,000 pallet positions
13 stacker cranes for pallets
20 navettes for the storage of boxes
2 automatic depalletizing robots
2 automatic palletizing robots (including mixed pallets)
2 telescopic conveyors (bulk cargo)
3.6 million boxes
35,000 box positions
60 trucks per day
Process of collection and loading of Ancra truck in 5 minutes
Loading of bulk truck in 2 hours
3,000 pallets per day
180 direct and indirect jobs
About Natura
Founded in 1969, Natura is the biggest Brazilian multinational of cosmetics and health and beauty products. Leader in the direct sales industry in Brazil, it reported net revenue totaling R$ 7.4 billion in 2014, it has 7,000 employees, 1.7 million consultants and operations in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Mexico, Peru, Colombia and France.
Largest B Corp company in the world, it was the first publicly-held company to receive the certification, in December 2014, which reinforces its transparent and sustainable operations on social, environmental and economic aspects. The company’s structure is made up of plants in Cajamar (SP) and Benevides (PA), eight distribution centers in Brazil, one HUB in Itupeva, in addition to Research and Technology centers in São Paulo (SP), Manaus (AM) and New York (USA).
It holds 65% of the Australian manufacturer of cosmetics Aesop, with stores in countries in Oceania, Asia, Europe and North America. Natura’s products can be purchased through Revista Natura (product catalog) or Rede Natura at www.redenatura.net.