Isuzu opens 12,000 square metre parts warehouse in Melbourne, serving new and old trucks
The name over the door is still Isuzu, and it is in the same Melbourne industrial estate, but that is where the similarities between the old and new Isuzu Australia parts warehouses end.
With 12,000 square metres of fully racked storage and office space, the new building is twice the size of its predecessor, and still has room to grow with future demand.
The new warehouse was built to meet the needs of an expanding customer base that comes from 20 years of market leadership, with many of those trucks still in operation.
Peter Rutkis, Isuzu’s director of IT, Engine and Parts Operations, says the new facility will ensure Isuzu continues to offer parts availability and fast delivery, in line with customer expectations.
“Aside from stocking the common wear and tear items associated with trucks such as brakes, clutches, suspensions and so forth, IAL also ensures that there is a wide coverage of other spare parts for every model Isuzu truck sold in Australia – including the increasing popular Best Value Parts range,” Rutkis says.
While truck parts are key to the new facility, there is also plenty of space to keep up with demand from customers of Isuzu Marine and Industrial Engines, which are also enjoying plenty of support in the market place.
Materials handling specialists Absolute Storage Systems built the new warehouse, incorporating Schaefer racking, shelving and storage systems, allowing the building to carry everything from a single washer to a fully dressed cabin assembly.
There is also a small parts storage facility, with 40,000 individual locations, which takes advantage of optimal use of space to contribute to faster and more efficient pick cycles.
The process of relocating the warehouse was completed in six and a half weeks, Rutkis says, which included an ‘aisle by aisle’ handover, so that parts supply to the more than 50 Isuzu dealers nationally was not interrupted during the move.