In a commercial building in the south zone of São Paulo, Hersil’s headquarters might go unnoticed by those driving distractedly along Avenida Lineu de Paula Machado, parallel to Marginal Pinheiros. In the meeting room, the REsource team was welcomed by Henrique Rosa, head of operations, and Daniel Rodrigues, regional manager. According to the company, Hersil manages 17 properties and 700 thousand square meters of gross leasable area (GLA). 

In addition to industrial properties, Hersil also manages corporate real estate, and Daniel Rodrigues explains that, although the goal is the same, the work differs significantly from that done in commercial buildings. 

“To start with, corporate properties have smaller common areas compared to industrial ones. In corporate management, you focus on air conditioning, elevators, entrances and exits, ensuring people move around safely. In industrial management, you handle tasks like those of a municipal administration: you have streets, streetlights, and security, which is a major concern in the industrial sector,” Rodrigues explains. 

According to the regional manager, dealing with high-value cargo, especially in e-commerce operations, requires enhanced and rethought security. One example given by Henrique Rosa is security guard posts, which must be integrated into the camera ecosystem and the fire alarm system. 

“In the guard post, where the security personnel are stationed, the building’s cameras should be connected. It’s pointless to have a dedicated security room if the guard, who is there 24/7, cannot see them. We bring various lessons from past experiences, from things that worked and things that didn’t,” he explains.  

One of the most divergent characteristics in industrial properties is their design. Unlike buildings, industrial properties can be constructed in phases. Often, the development is fully operational while still under construction, which requires careful management by both administrators and owners. 

“There was a case in Extrema where we took over a 100 thousand square meter property with three warehouses. One module had already been delivered, and the other two were expected to be completed four months and six months later. The fact that a tenant was already in the completed module made the whole operation more challenging. Not everything was fully ready and operational, so we had to balance the access between the construction and the users,” explains Henrique. 

Daniel gives another example of demand, also related to security, about the difference between managing a completely empty property and a fully occupied one. 

“We had a case of a very large property, over 100 thousand square meters with low occupancy. We began management very early, so we planned the property’s occupation and operation, both financially and operationally. A property with zero occupancy requires two security guards, mainly to protect the assets. With 30% occupancy, you need to add two more security guards and a vehicle. Finally, with 60% occupancy, you need a patrol; it’s a matter of scaling up gradually,” Daniel explains.  

Environmental Protection Areas (APPs) are important elements present in industrial properties. Since they are on large plots of land, it is common for industrial properties to share space with springs, forests, and woods. 

“Preserved areas need to be managed by a company with the necessary know-how. There are various legal requirements, especially regarding APPs. These areas cannot be altered or deforested; they must be kept intact, properly delimited, and detailed reports presented. Regulations may vary from municipality to municipality, but it’s essential to have a specialized company, our partner, to ensure compliance. Our property manager is responsible for overseeing this, including taking photos and using drones for inspections. We have our own drone for monitoring, but having a specialized company is crucial for properly managing APPs,” Daniel explains. 

Regarding environmental issues, the executives recount a case at one of the managed properties where they took over from another company and had to make several changes.  

“Regarding environmental issues, we faced a challenge at Modular II in Barueri related to sewage treatment. There was no sewage network available in the area, so we used a sewage treatment station that treated the waste and disposed of it into the rainwater system, which was approved by Cetesb at the time. Building a new treatment plant that met the requirements would have been extremely costly. Initially, we used an anaerobic treatment system but needed trucks to transport the treated sewage, which tripled the cost of water since we paid for both inflow and outflow. This was not sustainable,” they explain. 

They report receiving support from the engineering and maintenance team and found a more efficient solution: connecting to the sewage system 500 meters away, near Shopping Tamboré. 

“This connection reduced the water cost to normal levels and we established a demand contract with Sabesp, reducing the expenditure from 90% to around 45% to 50%. This was a success story in warehouse management,” they conclude.