Safety equipment supplier NZ Safety Blackwoods has opened a new national distribution centre in South Auckland, consolidating five existing sites into a single purpose-built facility.
The Drury South site was officially opened on March 20 by former prime minister Sir Bill English, who is also a current member of the board of Wesfarmers, which owns NZ Safety Blackwoods.
The facility features an AutoStore automated storage and retrieval system supplied by Kardex which is designed to support more than 100,000 product lines for distribution throughout the country.
NZ Safety Blackwoods head of operations Chris Mason says the investment is aimed at reducing delays and improving consistency.
“Customers rely on us for products that are fundamental to safety and productivity,” Mason says.
“When something is missing or delayed, work can stop. This new distribution centre is about reducing that risk by moving product through our network faster, more accurately and with far greater reliability.”
The AutoStore system significantly boosts efficiency, allowing a product to be presented to workers every four seconds during peak periods. A single team member can pick up to 300 product lines per hour, representing a tenfold increase in productivity.
At full capacity, the system is expected to handle close to 4000 product lines per day, with some orders picked and ready for dispatch in as little as three minutes.
Grant Smith, director of business development for AutoStore ANZ at Kardex, says the project brings advanced automation and intelligent fulfilment to the company’s operations.
“Working closely together, we’ve created a modern fulfilment centre using AutoStore technology and Kardex software to bring NZ Safety Blackwoods operations into one consolidated footprint,” Smith says.
The system includes high-density storage for 37,000 totes, served by 32 robots and supported by picking and conveyor ports, as well as assisted picking technology designed to improve accuracy and efficiency.
NZ Safety Blackwoods general manager Andy Antoci says the facility reflects both the scale of the business and its responsibility to customers.
“For more than 100 years, NZ Safety Blackwoods has existed to support New Zealand businesses with the products and expertise they rely on every day,” Antoci says.
“Today we serve customers right across the country, from large industrial and infrastructure projects to manufacturers, contractors and essential services. This distribution centre reflects both the scale of our business and our responsibility to keep customers supplied, safe and operating without disruption.”
The new site has also been designed with safety and sustainability in mind. Automation reduces manual handling tasks, while the layout separates people from machinery to lower risk.
The 18,000 square metre facility was designed in partnership with national property and construction firm Calder Stewart and features a 0.5-megawatt solar energy system, capable of running critical systems. It also has energy and water monitoring systems, rainwater harvesting and low-emission building materials.
Calder Stewart property general manager Ben Murphy says the project highlights growing demand for modern logistics infrastructure.
“Partnering alongside NZ Safety Blackwoods, our focus was to deliver a purpose-built facility that integrates advanced automation, supports safer operations, and provides the flexibility required for a national distribution network.
“The result is a future-ready asset designed to support their business and customers for many years to come.”
NZ Safety Blackwoods operates a nationwide network of 35 trade centres and employs more than 550 staff.
Holding around $50 million in inventory, the company supplies over 100,000 products across safety, engineering, workwear, hygiene and industrial categories.
