Record-low vacancy, post-pandemic economics, and demand for sustainable technological development have sent Australian warehouse real estate into a period of flux. All these factors have created the perfect environment for manufacturers to optimise their operations and set themselves for long periods of growth. Source: Timberbiz
As vacancy levels around the country return from record-lows of around 1% – some of the lowest globally – there is little room for manufacturers to move. This is leading many to consider a complete demolition and rebuild of their facilities, according to JLL Australia head of supply chain, Richard Phillips.
“You can’t even put some of the simplest automation into older warehouses because the infrastructure doesn’t enable their deployment,” he says. “So, you’ve got buildings that are 35-plus years coming up for refurbishment anyway, plus the appeal of automation and increased cubic capacity all driving owners and developers to look at the viability of knock down and rebuild.”
This is where Combilift comes into play. On top of delivering innovative, multi-directional forklift technology, Combilift has put its decades of experience to good use, offering a free warehouse planning service to maximise floorplan efficiency.
Clients of this service have been known to double their storage capacity using Combilift’s warehouse design, coupled with its forklifts for narrow and very narrow aisles. By reducing said aisle widths, warehouse owners can fit more aisles into the same space.
“We have a saying we’ve been using for the last number of years – it’s more important that the customers should optimise what they’re doing before they invest in automation,” Combilift CEO, Martin McVicar said. “That’s why we have a team of engineers who offer free warehouse design, and that really has enabled a lot of our customers to maximise their cubic footprint.
JLL reported that Sydney’s Outer Central West has 278,000 sqm of warehousing under construction, while Melbourne’s west has 432,000 sqm and Brisbane’s south is expecting 309,000 sqm of industrial warehousing.
