Mega distribution centre on track for 2023 opening
Construction has finished on a 29,000sqm distribution centre that will revolutionise the supply chain for leading automotive afterparts retailer Genuine Parts Company Asia Pacific (GPC).
Located at 20 Puaki Drive, Wiri, the facility has been built to house the five Auckland warehouse operations that support the 120-branch network of GPC’s Repco and Napa retail brands and its industrial parts supply business Motion Industries New Zealand.
The distribution centre has been designed and built by national property and building solutions firm Calder Stewart.
With the doors opening 18 months after the first dirt was turned on February 2021, the three-year project is on schedule despite the challenges of Covid-19-related supply chain disruptions and material shortages, particularly with fittings and specialist finishes.
Calder Stewart Project Director Mark Weaver said weather presented the biggest challenge in the year-long build, with the construction team encountering the most rain it has had to work in recent memory.
“We knew weather would be a risk with the project starting and finishing in the winter months, so we did factor that into our construction schedule. We constantly had to juggle concrete pours and crane lifts” Weaver says.
This meant the project team of were constantly adapting and re-sequencing the construction schedule along the way.
“We had good contingency plans in place which meant we completed the building on time and under budget,” Weaver says. “We also kept GPC and their consultants right up to date on how the build was progressing, meaning no surprises and everyone being on the same page”
Work is now underway to create and install what will be one of the most advanced materials handling systems in New Zealand with leading technology and safety features.
One of the major benefits of the Schafer Systems automation is dense storage in a small footprint, meaning GPC can use the maximum height of the 15-metre high building.
Automation means products will move through the new building with as little touch points as possible, a move that will protect supply chain against future disruption, ensuring GPC’s supply chain is resilient in the post-pandemic world.
The build and commissioning of the Schaefer Systems automation systems is expected to take six months.
GPC’s warehouse operations and 100 staff will then be consolidated into this one facility over the next two years and the centre is expected to be fully operational by November 2023.
GPC New Zealand Executive General Manager Jonathon Maddren says with capacity to hold 140,000 product lines, the new distribution centre will support GPC’s next 30 years of growth, expanding the service and product range Repco, NAPA and motion can offer.
“With this large capital project, we are making a clear commitment to our team, to our customers and to the future of the auto and industrial aftermarket supply industry,” Maddren says.
“The automation system will be key to optimise the flow of goods, with more than five times greater operational efficiency driving smoother and faster supply across the country,” he says.
This includes automatic organization overnight for optimal pick and automatic stacks making it faster, safer to get products off the shelves, leading to better speed to customers.
“This level of automation has not yet been seen in New Zealand,” Maddren says.
“Today’s customers require greater agility and speed than ever before, and this new facility delivers the vital enhancements in our speed to customer and supply chain accuracy. Ultimately, this means we can pack quickly and get the product out to our customers much faster, improving the customer experience,” Maddren says.
The highly functional facility has been built with a strong emphasis on sustainable design principles.
Solar panels and advanced energy control systems, electric forklifts and rainwater collection will target significant energy footprint reduction and a 35 per cent annual water savings.
“We are proud to create a market-leading, safe and sustainable environment for our people in this distribution centre,” Maddren says.
GPC’s new Auckland Distribution Centre
- Construction started in February 2021
- Built on a 5.8 hectare green fields site in Wiri
- The finished building is equivalent to the size of eight rugby fields
- Capacity to hold 140,000 product lines
- Highly functional multi-purpose facility
- 7500 cubic metres of concrete poured
- 245 precast panels
- 31,800 sqm of roofing steel
- 21 roller doors
- 650 sqm of office and staff amenities
- Schafer Systems automation system offers New Zealand-first technology and safety features
Source: Boyd PR