Autocare Services consolidates its operations in Melbourne and moves off-wharf in Brisbane
Autocare Services, is now operating out of expanded and refurbished storage premises in Melbourne and will soon start storing cars in a new off-wharf facility close to the Port of Brisbane.
The 13.5-hectare storage area at Pinnacle Road, Altona, in Melbourne’s industrial west has been upgraded from a crushed-rock surface with no hail mesh to a spray-sealed surface with hail mesh.
The Victorian state manager, Nick Murphy, explained “the strategy was to increase the hail mesh capacity in the Victorian market to satisfy our customer requirements.
We have created 4500 to 5000 vehicle storage spots under mesh,” he said.
1600 mesh spaces have been added a short distance away at the Laverton storage facility.
The development included the addition of a sealed surface along with line-marking which has delivered a by-product of increased storage capacity.
“Previously we had no line marking on the site so we have actually increased our storage because we can be more efficient in placing the cars,” Mr Murphy said.
“Each customer has a specification on how they would like the vehicles parked. There are minimum gaps that need to be maintained and the lines are used to assist in maintaining those specifications.”
Autocare Services handles in excess of 150,000 vehicles through Melbourne each year and can at any time store up to 15,000 vehicles, with up to 10,000 of these under hail mesh.
Meanwhile, at the Port of Brisbane, the company is in the process of commissioning a new off-wharf storage area which it acquired from the port authority under lease in October last year.
The new area of 11,200 square metres in Rader Street, Lytton, will house about 4500 vehicles.
It consolidates Autocare Services’ Brisbane operations from five locations into one and sits closer to the interchange of major Brisbane freeways and specifically offers quick access to the dealerships on the south coast and inland.
Eddie Glennon, manager of Autocare Services Queensland, said “the most significant advantage is the consolidation of sites.
“We are currently utilising multiple satellite sites on the island on the Port of Brisbane. Rather than using these uncovered satellite sites we now have the capability of having one site under mesh that we can use for storage across multiple customers.
“The second benefit is that it is logistically well placed for access to the south-east Queensland dealer network for our customers as opposed to being out on the port itself.
“We are now in a position to support our customers with an off-wharf storage solution, not only logistically but commercially.”
“Logistically it is closer to their dealerships – the ability to be able to fill orders in a faster timeframe is improved. Commercially, because it is off-wharf we can offer our customers savings and more competitive storage pricing.”
The new Radar Street facility incorporates processing, storage and transport. Autocare does some processing of the cars after they have left the ship, including compliance plate fixing, removing wraps, if required, and washing before delivery to the dealers.
This processing is currently performed across multiple sites on the island.
“That is one of the inefficiencies that we are looking to rectify,” Mr Glennon said. “We have had to bring those vehicles into multiple locations to do that actual work whereas now a significant number of the cars will all be in one place in this off-wharf storage facility where we will be able to do the extra work required.
“We are exiting multiple satellite sites as we speak.
“The satellites were a mixture of sizes. Some were as small as 500 vehicles, with others up to 1100 vehicles. It certainly allows the closure of those smaller, less efficient sites.”
Mr Glennon said that the location of the new facility beside the Brisbane River has provided Autocare Services with an edge in the market.
“In terms of access to the dealer network it places us in a strong position,” he said.
Autocare Services delivers more than 500,000 vehicles from ships to dealerships using a fleet of about 300 trucks. It also customises vehicles for OEMs and fleets before delivering them to dealerships.
As featured in GoAutoNews Premium.