Human Nature’s social enterprise gets FedEx boost

MANILA, Philippines – When Human Nature founders Dylan Wilk, Anna Meloto-Wilk, and Camille Meloto started the business in 2008, they had a simple goal: establish a social enterprise to help Filipino communities in a sustainable way. They found inspiration while volunteering for Gawad Kalinga, a non-stock, non-profit foundation that builds sustainable communities in marginalized areas. Beyond building houses for the poor, the three imagined running a business for profit while still advocating social development.

They began selling genuinely natural yet affordable personal care products using many raw materials that can be grown in the Philippines. The company also trains and employs underprivileged residents from local communities to support their operations. These practices follow Human Nature’s business philosophy of being pro-poor, pro-Philippines and pro-environment.

Six years later, Human Nature continues its steady growth, attracting Filipino customers with a wide range of products that are available in Human Nature branches, dealer locations, supermarkets, drugstores, and its online store. The products use ingredients that are grown in the Philippines and are manufactured through environmentally-safe processes.  Human Nature also teams up with Gawad Kalinga and other organizations to develop organic farms and other enterprises. These help increase the income of poor communities by creating a market for their products and produce.

Human Nature’s products have also attracted international customers from all over the world.  Since the company ventured into e-commerce with their online store, international interest in Human Nature’s products has grown – a welcome development except for one important concern: “We noticed that many international customers trying to purchase our products online abandon their carts when they reached the shipping fee page,” shared Human Nature International Business Development manager Dia Lacaba.  “This is mainly due to high international shipping costs.”

To ensure that the company can bring their products to the international market, Human Nature looked to FedEx for fast, reliable, and specialized solutions to support their shipping requirements. With a network of over 220 countries and territories in the FedEx global network, Human Nature’s online store has seen an increase in customer purchases from countries like Australia, Canada, and the ASEAN region.

Their international business has grown by more than double in 2014 compared to the previous year. The efficiency of delivering orders through International Economy, a reliable and cost-efficient FedEx shipping option has contributed much to this growth.

FedEx’s support reflects the longstanding commitment to elevating the customer experience.  By providing Human Nature a trusted, efficient, and cost effective logistics service, FedEx enables customers worldwide to use their proudly Philippine-made products.

FedEx’s role in helping Human Nature expand its international business also has a positive impact on the company’s pro-poor advocacy. As it grows, Human Nature hires more employees from underprivileged communities. Partly due to their growing international business, the company recently opened a new manufacturing plant in Laguna whose workforce is composed mostly of residents from the area.

Beyond logistics services, FedEx also provides Human Nature with additional support through workshops that educate them about shipping and regulatory policies. “We are able to ship products thanks to the services and competitive rates of FedEx, ensuring that we satisfy our most urgent orders,” shared Lacaba.

Human Nature hopes to continue to expand in international markets through the FedEx commitment to deliver an outstanding customer experience. Along with this, Human Nature as a social enterprise will continue to thrive as it grows and benefits more local communities.