Bem Brasil Optimizes Frozen Food Storage with Mecalux Automation Handling Over 550,000 Tons Annually

Bem Brasil is the leading producer of frozen precooked french fries in Brazil. To expand its logistics capacity, the company recently built two automated rack-supported warehouses from Mecalux at its plant in Perdizes (Minas Gerais).

Both facilities feature the Automated Pallet Shuttle system with a stacker crane and are managed by Easy WMS software. Together, they 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.

Célio Zero, Operations Manager at Bem Brasil;

"Mecalux’s solutions give us complete control over our stored goods. That translates into faster, safer, and more cost-effective logistics operations."

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.