JLG upgrades Brazil distribution centre

JLG Industries has officially opened its newly renovated distribution centre in Indaiatuba, Brazil.

Members of JLG’s leadership teams in Latin America and North America joined customers and members of the local community for a cocktail reception, press conference and tour of the facility.

“The investment JLG has made in the Indaiatuba distribution centre underscores the company’s ongoing commitment to Latin America,” said Tim Morris, JLG Industries senior vice president sales, market development and customer support, Americas.

“As Brazil prepares to host the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games, we are anticipating tremendous infrastructure improvements in the region. We have increased our workforce in Indaiatuba by 40%, recruiting local talent and investing $2.9 million in human capital that will support our customers with innovative products and services as they take advantage of the opportunities these improvements present,” added Mr Morris.

The 11,200 square metre facility includes a renovated warehouse that accommodates a significantly larger parts inventory. The updated facility also includes two new parts and service call centres and a new training area that will introduce rental and construction companies to JLG products and provide equipment operation and maintenance instruction.

Accessing spare parts in the facility is made easier thanks to a unique selection system, said the company. “JLG is the first company in Brazil to deploy the shuttle order picking solution in a distribution facility,” explained Donnell Mata, JLG Industries director of product support, Latin America.

“This cutting-edge technology supports efficient business operations by expediting the picking process and enabling our employees to fill orders at a significantly increased speed. At the same time, our increased parts inventory contributes to improved fill rates for our customers,” added Mr Mata.

Customers in Latin America will also benefit from JLG’s mobile app, said the company. Online Express allows customers to access direct quotes, warranty service and manuals, all in their native language.

The Indaiatuba community is also benefitting from JLG’s expanded presence in the area. On 10 November employees helped remodel a children’s shelter in Indaiatuba. Meanwhile, JLG equipment is helping build two million homes for low-income families across Brazil as part of the Minha Casa, Minha Vida public works project, said the company.