Peter Malinauskas, Premier of South Australia, has officially opened the new high-tech custom-built 12,000 square metre CHEP Service Centre at Direk in the city of Salisbury, Adelaide.
Located off the Northern Expressway and North South Motorway, the multiple platform-site was purpose-built for CHEP by national property developer Gibb Group, and represents the latest significant investment in the fast-growing Direk business and industrial precinct.
“The investment by CHEP and Gibb Group in SA is testament to the opportunity for growth that businesses have identified in the state to drive job creation and economic growth in the region,” Malinauskas said.
“The new CHEP Service Centre is strategically located in the Direk industrial precinct, which is fast becoming a regional logistics hub, well-connected to intermodal transport routes, delivering efficiencies, and enhancing SA’s supply chain and logistics capabilities.”
According to the City of Salisbury, over 4000 individuals are employed within the industrial area of Direk and Burton, and these precincts contributed over half a billion dollars to the SA economy during the 2020/21 period.
“I couldn’t be prouder of what CHEP, Gibb Group and local subcontractors have achieved through a collaborative spirit and a shared vision,” said Gillian Aldridge, City of Salisbury’s mayor.
“CHEP and Gibb Group’s project demonstrated a true commitment to investing in local communities, creating employment opportunities, and robust economic growth to help our people and home-grown businesses thrive.”
The 5.6-hectare site combines two existing CHEP sites into one – further supporting farmers, producers, fishers, food manufacturers and winemakers in the southern Australian region, and provides businesses with the company’s full suite of reusable supply chain platforms including time and plastic pellets, reusable plastic containers, and produce bins.
According to Renee Holbrook, CHEP Australia’s general manager, the new facility was designed to create a seamless service for CHEP customers.
“The design is centred around creating an outstanding experience for our customers through advancements in product quality, faster service speeds, and availability of CHEP’s full suite of platforms – all delivered in the one convenient location,” explained Holbrook.
“The site will also improve our team’s experience by creating more career opportunities, an outstanding work environment, as well as generating 20 new jobs for the local Salisbury community.
“CHEP is committed to investing in its pallet and container capacity to best serve our customers and optimise local supply chains.
“With the Direk facility’s advanced repair and quality assurance processes our customer will receive a consistent high-quality supply, which is the foundation of the CHEP circular, share and reuse model.”
The Direk CHEP Service Centre incorporates cutting-edge repair and automation technology, nail rollers and digital quality checkers with the capacity to repair approximately four million pallets, and wash six million bins and containers annually.
It features best-practice sustainability measures and technology including a 250kW rooftop solar system, LED and motion sensor lighting, rainwater harvesting, and reticulation system.
“We are pleased to be partnering with CHEP to successfully deliver a cutting-edge building that reflects our commitment to quality and affirms both ours and CHEP’s focus on delivering market-leading services for its customers,” said Matthew Gibb, Gibb Group CEO.
“This project was completed amidst challenging conditions across the construction industry, with our dedicated team supported by leading subcontractors, suppliers and financiers who stepped up to navigate and overcome the complexities.”
The Direk CHEP Service Centre is the second project that national property developer Gibb Group has been involved in delivering for CHEP – the first being the 10,000sqm centre in Kenwick WA completed in 2020.
