Maersk’s new integrated coldstore facility at Ruakura Superhub opened last month and senior writer Mary Anne Gill checked out the 18,000 square metre building wishing she had brought a coat.
Heeni Katipa, sister of King Tūheitia, unveils a plaque at the Maersk Coldstar helped by Moller-Maersk chief executive Vincent Clerc watched by, from left Maersk Oceania Reefer Integrated sales manager Tony Mildon, Tainui Group Holdings chief executive Chris Joblin, Maersk Oceania managing director Kylie Fraser, Apollo Projects executive director Paul Lloyd and Maersk Asia Pacific president Ditlev Blicher. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
Maersk Ruakura Superhub site manager Peter Phillip opens the blast freezer door where inside it is -20 degree Celsius, and issues a warning.
“…I’d just like to point out none of you are dressed for the freezing conditions so when we do go in there, you won’t stay long.”
He was right. Two minutes, tops.
It is one of three cool rooms Phillip shows us at the opening of Maersk’s $150 million integrated cold chain facility. The first has space for 3000 pallets, the second 4500 and the third – a somewhat tropical -10 degrees – has 8000 spaces with racking on one side and floor stacking on the other.
Peter Phillip in one of the three blast freezers. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
It took a year to build the 18,000 square metre facility less than two kilometres from the Waikato Expressway off ramp and only metres south of the East Coast Main Trunk railway line, Kiwi Rail’s rail freight route between Waikato and Bay of Plenty. There are new twin 800m rail sidings at the Ruakura stop and a daily service transports up to 90 containers a day between Auckland and Tauranga.
Maersk chief executive Vincent Clerc said the Danish shipping and logistics company was enthusiastic about fostering growth and forging long-term partnerships.
“The facility will leverage landside logistic capabilities allowing for larger quantities of imported and exported goods to flow through New Zealand and the wider Asia-Pacific region.”
Te Arataura chair Tukoroirangi Morgan, left, with Moller-Maersk chief executive Vincent Clerc at the opening.
Te Arataura chair Tukoroirangi Morgan told Clerc and other guests his iwi appreciated working alongside one of the giants of the shipping trade.
Te Arataura is the executive committee of Waikato-Tainui’s tribal parliament Te Whakakitenga with responsibility to manage the business and affairs of the 86,000-strong iwi.
Ruakura stood as a sentinel, a reminder for people of the tribe and from the region that “Waikato Tainui are on the move and that we will embrace opportunities as we’ve done here at Ruakura,” said Morgan.
Apollo Projects designed and built the facility to a Greenstar-5 sustainability rating with Maersk saying it wants to get to six stars.
Peter Phillip in one of the three blast freezers. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
Peter Phillip picks up on that during the tour, showing people the refrigeration plant in the mezzanine floor, all of it in the spine of the building. In addition to its solar panels, the company collects rain and condensation for the irrigation system and water supplies.
He is clearly proud to be leading the team at Ruakura and itching to get product into the facility which allows customers to retain the quality of their products during transit by housing nearly 30,000 pallets of products in both cold rooms and blast freezers.
The freezers do their job in less than 24 hours locking in the quality and ensuring a fresher product when it reaches its destination.
When trucks arrive, containers can be unpacked and turned around in 20 minutes, taken to the cold rooms or snap freezers.
Flags of Denmark and New Zealand awaited guests at their tables for the opening.
The 390ha Ruakura Superhub is one of the country’s largest developments. It is in a ‘sweet spot’ for New Zealand’s supply chain – in the golden triangle of Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty – and 65 per cent of the country’s total freight passes through the strategic corridor.
Last month New Zealand logistics company Big Chill Distribution opened its cool storage facility there and Tainui Group Holdings commissioned Calder Stewart to build a 1000 square metre facility for Refrigafreighters Ltd. Kmart opened its 40,000 square metre distribution centre there last September and moved its North Island operations from Wiri.
The superhub is anchored by a 30ha inland port operated in a joint venture with the Port of Tauranga.
Maersk Ruakura Superhub Opening
Hamilton mayor Paula Southgate with other guests at the opening of Danish company Maersk’s new cool store facility in the Ruakura Super Hub.
Gifts ready for presentation at the Maersk Ruakura Superhub Opening
Maersk Ruakura Superhub Opening
