Hilton Foods Australia to open new processing site

Meat packing business Hilton Foods Australia and logistics real estate specialist Logos have teamed up to develop a new processing and distribution centre in Brisbane. 

Located at the Logos Heathwood Logistics Estate, the new site will be 45,000 sq m facility that will supply beef, lamb, pork and added-value products to Woolworths stores.

Construction is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2019, with the site fully operational by January 2020.

Robert Watson OBE, chief executive officer of Hilton Food Group, said: “Hilton is delighted to be partnering with Logos to locate our Queensland meat processing and distribution centre at the Logos Heathwood Logistics Estate that will service Woolworths stores. The site is strategically located along the Logan Motorway, an important transit route in South Brisbane that provides proximity to Woolworths stores.”

Trent Iliffe, Logos’ joint managing director, said: “The development will be the second stage of the Estate, consisting of a c.45,000 sq m purpose-built meat processing and distribution facility constructed on behalf of Hilton, which has pre-committed on an initial 15-year lease term.

“Hilton plans to invest up to AU$115 million into plant and equipment within the warehouse. Initial site works have commenced with construction completion anticipated in Q1 2019. Hilton anticipates it will commence supply to Woolworths stores in January 2020, with a range of beef, lamb, pork and added value products being distributed from the Heathwood Logistics Estate.

“Combined with Asahi Beverages’ facility currently under construction (Stage 1) and future development of the residual site, the estate will be a super, prime logistics estate worth over AU$400 million. Our commitment to building large-scale logistics estates across Australia’s capital cities ensures our customers are provided with high-quality amenity on major road infrastructure. This has ensured we continue to attract high-quality occupiers to our estates on long-term partnerships.”

The announcement was welcomed by Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk. “The Hilton facility received strategic support and advice from the investment attraction arm of the city’s economic development board, Brisbane Marketing,” he said. “Attracting major commercial businesses to Brisbane is part of a strategic focus to grow our city’s economy and generate long-term job opportunities. This project is a significant win for

Brisbane, representing AU$850m in economic impact and the creation of 500 new jobs.

“We welcome this investment as another step in the Brisbane 2022 New World City Action Plan, which identifies food and agribusiness as a key growth sector as we continue to build our city’s profile in the Asia-Pacific region.”