Ceva Logistics has opened a regional headquarters and its fourth Center of Logistics Excellence in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
The headquarters and logistics centre are located in the Vila Olimpia region of the city.
“This is an important strategic step for Ceva in the region as we consolidate our presence and prepare for continued growth,” said Richard Vieites, executive vice president, South America. “Being able to fully integrate all back office and operational functions enables us to continue supporting the needs of all our customers.”
Vieites continued: “The centre allows us to demonstrate ‘real world’ logistics innovation through supply chain optimisation and enhanced visibility, integrated services and technology solutions to power supply chain efficiency.”
Earlier this year Vieites told Automotive Logistics that the tough economy in South America was pushing suppliers to look for supply chain efficiencies and reduce non-value-added activities.
“Those suppliers who are able to most effectively work together with the OEMs and tier suppliers to drive efficiencies will come out on top,” he predicted.
And while the automotive sector was focused on costs, Vieites noted an increased pragmatism. The efforts now being made are much more structured and medium-to-long-term focused as opposed to rash, short-term actions that result in even higher costs on a longer timeframe, he explained.
The centre is Ceva’s first in South America and shows prospective and current customers the tools and methodologies Ceva applies to build competitive supply chains. Its other centres are in Jacksonville (US), Singapore and Ashby de la Zouch (UK).
