With a 45-year history, Flora Cosméticos e Limpeza, which belongs to the J&F Group (holding which also controls JBS), lives a new cycle of expansion focused on personal care and beauty. Although its home care division still represents almost half of its profits, it is the hair and personal care area which grows the most and supports the company’s ambitions.

After relaunching Kolene in 2023, the company also launched a new baby line for coarse and curly hair for children aged 0-3, a still unexplored niche in Brazil. The bet reinforces the company’s strategy to innovate in segments with market gaps and supports its goal of two-digit growth in 2025, after making R$3 billion (US$560 million) in profits last year. “Our budget aims for two-digit growth, led primarily by hair and personal care”, affirms the president, Sérgio Caldas, speaking to EXAME on how he plans to advance this year.

Hair care: a resilient market

Brazil is the third-largest hair care market in the world, and consumer behavior makes room for new products.

“The hair care market is a very resilient sector and open to innovation. Unlike other segments, the Brazilian consumer tests products frequently, which has driven our growth”, says Caldas.

Since 2021, after separating the hair care unit from other areas, Flora has seen this branch's profits triple. Today, the unit houses four relevant brands: Kolene, Neutrox, Ox and Karina.

[Foto] Sérgio Caldas, president of Flora Cosméticos: “Brazil is an enormous market, and we managed to grow in an accelerated fashion here”

Among the highlights is Kolene, acquired in 2011 and relaunched in 2023. Ever since, the company has doubled in size. One of its strategic moves was joining the children’s market, with lines meant for coarse and curly hair – a market in which Flora identified space and lack of specific products.

“Children were a watershed. We launched in 2023 and in little time this line already represents 20% of Kolene’s sales”, says the executive.

More recently, the company expanded its presence with the baby line, designed for children aged 0-3. Launch has already surpassed its initial sales expectations by 50% for the first two months.

“We noticed a market gap and pioneered by bringing a line specifically meant for babies’ coarse and curly hair”, says Caldas, highlighting that the decision was also born out of personal experience as a father of four.

Industrial structure and investments

Flora also operates four factories in Brazil: in Luziânia, Goías, where it focuses in producing soaps and cleaning agents; Itajaí, Santa Catarina, with powder detergents and bug sprays; Maceió, Alagoas, dedicated to disinfectants and detergents; and units in São Paulo for the beauty industry.

In the last few years, the company doubled its productive capacity in Itajaí and amplified its lines in Goiás. Currently, it has around 3 thousand workers and should close 2025 with over 500 products in its portfolio.

The research and development branch in São Bernardo do Campo (São Paulo), with over 50 professionals, has been the center of the innovation strategy.

“Innovation has been our great engine. All of this recent growth is directly connected to what we are developing in a lab,” affirms Caldas.

Despite its scale, Flora still doesn’t deal with exports. The choice was strategic: make the best of domestic potential.

“Brazil is an enormous market, and we managed to grow in an accelerated fashion here. So far, it would make no sense to diverge our focus abroad,” says the president.

With a strong presence in the cleaning industry and fast growth in the hair and personal care sector, Flora sees 2025 as another consolidating year.

“Our expectation is for 30% growth in Kolene, and two digits for the group as a whole. We will keep investing in innovation, productive capacity, and portfolio, always focused on the Brazilian consumer”, says Caldas.