Simplot

Truganina, VIC

When multinational agribusiness Simplot turned its eyes to Australia in 1995, it chose a Qanstruct-built property on Macquarie Goodman’s Chiefly Business Park as its first Melbourne home. It is only fitting, then, that when the company needed additional operational space last year, it turned to Qanstruct for the design and construction of its new facility on the Dexus Industrial Estate in the western suburb of Truganina.

Simplot is a diverse, US $5 billion company with vegetable, meat and seafood manufacturing operations that bring chilled, frozen and shelf-stable products from iconic brands like Birds Eye, Leggos, Chiko, John West, Lean Cuisine and Edgell to Australia’s major supermarkets and food service industry each year.

Since moving into the Australian market more than a decade ago, Simplot has grown to become one of Australia’s top ten food and beverage companies. This growth, together with the company’s strategic objective to take greater control of the real estate in its supply chain, is behind the move to the new premises, which were completed in March 2018.

The new building is on a site of nearly 4ha in the fast-growing industrial precinct, which is quickly becoming one of Melbourne’s prime location for logistics-driven businesses due to the rapid development of infrastructure and significant road improvements.

The complex offers 20,775m2 of total space, providing expanded storage, an improved operational environment and upgraded staff facilities.

Spacious and modern two-storey offices feature a bespoke fit-out, providing a comfortable work place for staff, including an outdoor space perfect for sunny lunch or rest breaks. The open-plan design creates a collaborative environment while clear visibility to the warehouse and external truck bays keep staff connected to the flow of business.

Inside the warehouse, Qanstruct supplied and installed an integrated racking system which is custom-designed to optimise the efficient flow of incoming and outcoming stock. The facility also features an extensive forklift battery charge station, operations office and quality assurance room. Concrete hardstand provides easy access around the site, even for Super B Double trucks, while loading and unloading is weather-proofed by a Super Canopy of more than 5,000m2.

The building is also eco-friendly, with rainwater harvesting, solar hot water and LED lighting systems throughout the complex not only reducing the building’s environmental footprint but also its utilities bills.

The result is a facility which will which will not only provide a modern and efficient base for Simplot in Melbourne, but also deliver significant operational savings.