Chep New Zealand has officially opened its $4 million office and warehouse development in Dunedin.
The service centre, in Sturdee St, comprises 200sq m of office, 1152sq m of warehouse and a 384sq m canopy on a 4658sq m site, with the new pallet and container centre processing 640,000 pallets a year.
Chep's investment in the facility demonstrated the company's long term commitment to its business partners in the lower South Island, Chep Asia Pacific president Phillip Austin said.
It had been servicing manufacturing, retail, food and beverage, and fresh produce customers in Otago for more than 30 years.
Chep New Zealand country manager Mike O'Brien said the development of the Dunedin service centre had ''raised the bar'' in terms of customer service, supply chain innovation and workplace safety.
It had been developed to accommodate future growth and the introduction of new technology.
The large yard provided greater efficiency for customers, with multiple zones designated for preparation, loading and unloading, and tying down.
Between 25 and 50 trucks moved through the site each day and there were about 37,000 equipment movements each week.
An extensive search of property options was undertaken by Chep's Sydney based property consultants before the decision was made to partner with Port Otago's property subsidiary Chalmers Properties Ltd. Chep New Zealand had committed to a 10 year lease on the new property.
Chalmers Properties was now looking for new clients for further industrial developments planned in the area, general manager David Chafer said.
