Bem Brasil optimizes storage for 550,000-plus tons of frozen food annually with Mecalux

Bem Brasilis the leading producer of frozen precooked french fries in Brazil. The company recently shored up its logistics capacity with the construction of two automated rack-supported buildings from Mecaluxin its plant in Perdizes (Minas Gerais). Both facilities are equipped with the Automated Pallet Shuttle system with a stacker crane and supervised by Easy WMS warehouse management software. They efficiently store and distribute over 550,000 tons of frozen foods annually.

In a country of 211 million people, Bem Brasil covers up to 55% of the national demand for products like smiley fries (carinhas) and onion rings, among other specialties. The company also exports to South America, Taiwan, Singapore, the US, and Mexico, where it holds a commercial partnership with Walmart. “Mecalux’s solutions give us complete control over our stored goods. That translates into faster, safer, and more cost-effective logistics operations,” says Célio Zero, Operations Manager.

The two Mecalux rack-supported buildings have provided 66,000 pallet positions. Automation has helped Bem Brasil increase production by 10% and revenue by 30% over the past year. Inside the warehouses, kept at -13 °F, the Automated Pallet Shuttle system inserts and retrieves goods autonomously. Conveyors connect the storage and production areas to maintain a continuous flow of raw materials and finished products. This robotic infrastructure eliminates the need for lighting during operations, improving energy efficiency.

Bem Brasil ensures the quality and traceability of its frozen products with Easy WMS, which monitors inbound, putaway, and outbound processes in real time. The Mecalux warehouse management system applies the FEFO (first-expired, first-out) method to prioritize the shipment of products with the nearest expiration date. By optimizing inventory turnover, this strategy minimizes food waste.