The Rukaura Superhub is a cool place to do business, with several new refrigeration stores opening there this year.

Big Chill Distribution opened its new cool storage facility at Superhub on Thursday, Maersk is set to open its facility soon and Refrigafreighters announced this week it would also open a depot at the site later this year.

Big Chill’s 32,200sqm facility, located on a three-hectare lot, can hold up to 16,500 pallets of chilled and frozen food.

Big Chill general manager Phil Clarke said the new site allowed the company to better service its customers.

“We’ve been able to increase our warehousing capacity by 30 per cent at Ruakura and can now increase same-day and overnight delivery services. We chose the site for its location and increased access to a comprehensive network of road and rail.

“It means we can spread the load between not only our Putaruru and Auckland depots, but all eleven of our facilities across the country to give our customers a more efficient storage and delivery service.”

Part of the new facility is a 13,000sqm warehouse which runs 24 hours a day, 6.5 days a week. Its chiller storage sits at 2 degrees and frozen goods are lowered to -23 degrees Celsius.

The facility, owned by Tainui Group Holdings and leased long-term to Big Chill, took 24 months to build from breaking ground to its soft opening in October 2023.

Forty-five new jobs were created at Big Chill’s Ruakura site.

“Since we got the keys last year, the customer demand and transition into Ruakura has exceeded expectations, and now that we’re officially open, we expect to move an average of 68 20-foot containers per week via rail alone,” Clarke said.

Tainui Group Holdings chair Hinerangi Raumati-Tu’ua said: “Ruakura Superhub is all about enabling a significantly more efficient transport supply chain network that benefits our tenants, their customers and ultimately the New Zealand public, so it’s rewarding to see the immediate gains it is delivering.”

Meanwhile, the Superhub is in line for another chill tenant later this year as Refrigafreighters just announced it would open a depot at the site.

Refrigafreighters is also a refrigerated goods logistics company that currently has five depots across New Zealand.

Refrigafreighters chief executive, Michael Roberts, said the depot at the Superhub would be its first in the Waikato.

“The dynamic of Auckland, Tauranga, and Hamilton as an economic growth engine for New Zealand pointed towards Ruakura as the best location for Refrigafreighters’ next depot.

“We see having a freight hub in the Waikato region as a necessity. Many of our key customers already have a strong production and delivery presence in the region, and we anticipate an even greater increase in demand for food, and food processing, primarily in the Golden Triangle.”

Refrigafreighters would move into a 1000sqm facility to be developed by TGH.

The facility, to be located on a 5000sqm lot, would include four truck docks for a starting fleet of seven new delivery trucks, fridge and freezer space and offices.

Facility design build is underway with main contractor Calder Stewart Construction targeting completion and readiness to operate in the last quarter of 2024.

Tainui Group Holdings chief executive, Chris Joblin said Refrigafreighters was a welcome addition to the range of specialty logistics providers and distributors already located at Ruakura.

“With MBIE forecasting that 700,000 more people will live in the golden triangle within 20 years, our region will need extra capacity in the food supply chain. Refrigafreighters adds to the supply chain options for our local businesses and will help serve the everyday needs of a fast-growing population,” said Joblin.

The Ruakura Superhub is a 490ha development in Hamilton, featuring logistics, industrial, retail and residential development areas, as well as a 30-ha inland port.

It is recognised by the Government as a project of national significance and has been on the cards since 2006.

Tenants, apart from Maersk and Big Chill Distribution include Waitomo Group and Kmart.

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