Farmina Pet Foods has expanded its distribution capacity in Brazil with the opening of its first distribution center (DC) in September. Located in Bragança Paulista, about 90 kilometers (56 miles) north of São Paulo, the facility aims to increase production volume by 150%. The investment totaled BRL 45 million (US$8 million), and the site covers 10,500 square meters (113,000 square feet).
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Farmina investe R$ 45 milhões e expande capacidade de distribuição no Brasil
The new DC is located next to the company’s manufacturing plant, facilitating integrated logistics and strengthening Farmina’s capacity in both domestic and international markets. The site was donated by the Bragança Paulista city government through the Pró-Indústria and Pró-Emprego programs, which allocate public land to companies that demonstrate a commitment to generating direct jobs and private investment in local infrastructure and production.
The center will manage storage, sorting and loading for national and international orders. Brazil currently accounts for 30% of the brand’s global sales and serves as an export base for 14 Latin American countries.
“With this structure, the food produced in São Paulo will be packed according to each order batch and then sent to the warehouse, where the trucks will be loaded,” said Angelo Russo, CEO of Farmina, during the opening ceremony. The center features automated operations, and the warehouse is connected to the existing plant by a 16-meter-high (52-foot) underground tunnel.
Farmina began its operations in Bragança Paulista by outsourcing production and later, in 2009, built its own manufacturing facility.
Future expansion
During the event, global CEO Angelo Russo announced that the Italian manufacturer is considering building a new plant for snacks and wet food in the same municipality to meet growing demand for premium products in Brazil. Currently, these products are manufactured only in Serbia.
Earlier this year, Farmina also expanded its North American operations with a new US$115 million (BRL 621 million) dry pet food plant in North Carolina, United States.
The facility includes a fully integrated microbiological and analytical laboratory that performs real-time quality control, designed to make production faster and more efficient.
