Toyota opens biggest car parts centre in southern hemisphere in Kewdale
The Kewdale facility is more than three times the size of its previous site, with a massive 22,000sqm workshop — enough to cover more than three soccer fields.
In a sign of the Japanese multinational's confidence in WA, the facility services 550,000 Toyota vehicles on local roads, with ample capacity for expansion.
The wholesale centre means Toyota drivers will likely no longer need to wait for spare parts from the east coast or overseas — delays that emerged during the COVID pandemic.
Gary Nettle, executive director of Toyota WA's parts distribution, said the size and technology of the new Parts and Accessories Distributor Facility were unprecedented in the southern hemisphere.
'We have invested heavily in 'world's best' technical innovation, notably automation explicitly designed to optimise the flow of goods whilst minimising time and disruption,' Mr Nettle said.
'To put the size of this centre into perspective, you will better understand its scale when I tell you that this facility can house four A380 jets and accommodate the entire Optus Stadium and if we wanted to get real cosy we could get about 94,000 people in here.'
Mr Nettle said the facility operates on the ADAPTO system — an automated storage and retrieval system developed with Toyota subsidiary Vanderlande.
The system includes driverless vehicles and 44 robotic shuttles that collect and deliver parts to mechanics in another section. Shuttle traffic is software-controlled to maximise efficiency.
The winding conveyor belt system spans more than 630 metres — the length of about 140 Corollas lined up bumper to bumper.
While artificial intelligence is displacing jobs globally, Mr Nettle told last night's launch that the system would allow staff to focus on 'more complex tasks instead of repetitive ones'.
He said early data indicated that the centre's rate of receiving inbound goods is about six times faster than at the previous facility, indicating dealerships will have to hold significantly lower stock holdings to cope with demand.
The system involves seven inbound loading docks and a further 18 dedicated dispatch doors.
The whole centre is powered by nearly 1000 solar panels behind a 400kW PV system, helping it achieve a 5.5 Green Star rating and a 94 per cent weighted recycling rate during construction.
In a sign of WA's maturing industrial property sector, the racking and three-level mezzanine structure was designed, engineered and manufactured by Bassendean company APC.
The new centre includes a Stan Perron training room, in honour of the late entrepreneur, who sold Toyota's commercial and passenger models as well as their parts and accessories from the late 1960s.
The arrangement with Toyota operated for many decades with no written contract, instead relying on a handshake agreement.
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The Age
8 hours ago
- The Age
‘Wolf in cashmere': Billionaire's luxury empire is facing a crisis
LVMH's market value has fallen by more than a quarter over the past year, to less than €250 billion. Hermes, a luxury brand Arnault tried and failed to buy, and has eyed with envy ever since, has taken LVMH's crown as the most valuable company in the industry, despite generating only €15 billion in sales last year. Adding insult to injury, the Arnault family, which has topped France's rich list since 2017, has also been dethroned by the Hermes clan. Can Arnault turn the ship around? Loading LVMH can't blame the economic environment for all its woes. It raised prices enormously in the post-COVID 'revenge shopping' boom, irking some customers. The price of Louis Vuitton's Speedy 30 canvas tote bag has more than doubled since 2019, for example, while the average price of personal luxury goods in Europe has increased by just over 50 per cent, according to HSBC, a bank. Only a handful of designers, including Chanel and Gucci, have raised prices more. A series of scandals have also damaged the image of some of its brands. Moet Hennessy, LVMH's drinks division, has recently faced accusations of sexual harassment, bullying and unfair dismissal by former employees (which it denies). On July 14, an Italian court placed Loro Piana, an LVMH label that sells cashmere sweaters for more than $US1000 ($1500) a piece, under judicial administration for using suppliers that allegedly violate labour rights. Dior faced similar investigations last year. LVMH's response has been half-hearted: 'Transparency, control and management of this whole ecosystem can sometimes prove a bit difficult,' it said recently. Arnault is attempting to steer towards calmer waters. New bosses have been put in charge of the booze, watches and retailing units. The appointment of Jonathan Anderson as the new creative director of Dior has been cheered by fashionistas. Some investors, however, worry that the companies' problems are deeply rooted. One concern is that decades of pushing fancy clothing and accessories not just to the super-rich but also the merely well-off has made LVMH's brands more vulnerable to economic cycles and dented their image of exclusivity. Even Louis Vuitton, the company's crown jewel, has not been immune. Analysts at HSBC term the brand 'schizophrenic' for its attempt to peddle entry-level products like chocolate and make-up alongside ultra-pricey handbags and luggage. Loading The outlook for Moet Hennessy is more worrying still. As profits have shrunk, the division has announced thousands of job cuts. Analysts point out that young consumers aren't drinking as much as older generations, and when they do, they tend to shy away from spirits such as cognac, which make up a big chunk of LVMH's booze business. The wine and spirits division now contributes less than 10 per cent of LVMH's operating profits, down by roughly half over the past decade. By contrast, Hermes, which has remained focused on selling fashion to the exceedingly wealthy, has continued growing handsomely. Its market value as a multiple of its net profit is now more than twice as high as for LVMH. Brunello Cucinelli, another purveyor of ultra-luxe fashion, is valued at a similar multiple to Hermes. If Louis Vuitton were to be valued at such a multiple, it alone would be worth significantly more than the entirety of its parent company. That has led some to call for LVMH to break itself up. On July 25, reports emerged that it was exploring a sale of Marc Jacobs, a fashion label founded by a former creative director of Louis Vuitton. A bolder move would be jettisoning the troubled drinks business. Diageo, owner of tipples from Guinness to Johnny Walker, already controls a third of Moet Hennessy and has in the past expressed interest in taking the rest of it off LVMH's hands. The British company is currently grappling with its own slump in profits and recently parted ways with its chief executive, but analysts speculate that it could make a deal work by selling off its beer business at the same time. Arnault, aged 76, is navigating all this while making plans for a transition at the helm. He clearly intends to keep the enterprise under family management. All five of his children work in different corners of his empire under the tutelage of experienced executives. His daughter, Delphine, who has been tasked with turning around Dior, is his eldest and the only of his offspring on the executive committee of LVMH, making her the most likely candidate to succeed her father. Yet, there are other possibilities. In February, Alexandre was parachuted in as the deputy head of Moet Hennessy. In March Frederic was put in charge of Loro Piana.
The Advertiser
16 hours ago
- The Advertiser
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The luxury waterfront project will bring a resort experience to the shores of Lake Macquarie, complete with a cutting-edge wellness centre and two world-class restaurants, as well as 160 waterfront apartments, conference facilities, and commercial and public space in a sprawling precinct designed by boundary-pushing architect firm Koichi Takada. Mr Johnson, who is the same developer behind Lake Macquarie's Watagan Park project, said the project was aimed at city-siders looking to escape to the regions in the post-COVID era, adding that designs had reduced the number of apartments but increased their size to cater to changing market tastes. "People want to move to the country. They want to move, but they want bigger units," he said. "It's a really luxurious lifestyle." He now hopes that, with development approvals secured, the project will move to detail designs and ultimately to tender within the next year. He estimated it would be a three-year build after that. "This project is about putting Lake Macquarie on the global stage," Mr Johnson said. "We're not just building something beautiful we're creating a destination that will showcase the best of this region to the world and leave a lasting legacy for generations to come." An earlier planning document indicated the project would create 398 jobs and some $15.8 million in salaries. The largest development project outside of Sydney is one step closer to being built after a protected development application - five years in consideration - was approved on Friday. The $665-million expansion of the Trinity Point precinct at Lake Macquarie has been sold as "Australia's leading waterfront destination" and Lake Macquarie's answer to the Sydney Opera House, but has been mired in planning red tape for the past five years. Johnson Property Group founder Kieth Johnson, who has held the site for 25 years, said it was a relief to see approvals finally secured after a years-long wait that left investors in uncertainty. "We have had investors and potential joint venture partners wanting to talk to us, but we couldn't do a thing," Mr Johnson said. "We had nothing to guarantee until (Friday, August 1)." "Unfortunately NSW is the slowest state in Australia to get approvals." The luxury waterfront project will bring a resort experience to the shores of Lake Macquarie, complete with a cutting-edge wellness centre and two world-class restaurants, as well as 160 waterfront apartments, conference facilities, and commercial and public space in a sprawling precinct designed by boundary-pushing architect firm Koichi Takada. Mr Johnson, who is the same developer behind Lake Macquarie's Watagan Park project, said the project was aimed at city-siders looking to escape to the regions in the post-COVID era, adding that designs had reduced the number of apartments but increased their size to cater to changing market tastes. "People want to move to the country. They want to move, but they want bigger units," he said. "It's a really luxurious lifestyle." He now hopes that, with development approvals secured, the project will move to detail designs and ultimately to tender within the next year. He estimated it would be a three-year build after that. "This project is about putting Lake Macquarie on the global stage," Mr Johnson said. "We're not just building something beautiful we're creating a destination that will showcase the best of this region to the world and leave a lasting legacy for generations to come." An earlier planning document indicated the project would create 398 jobs and some $15.8 million in salaries. The largest development project outside of Sydney is one step closer to being built after a protected development application - five years in consideration - was approved on Friday. The $665-million expansion of the Trinity Point precinct at Lake Macquarie has been sold as "Australia's leading waterfront destination" and Lake Macquarie's answer to the Sydney Opera House, but has been mired in planning red tape for the past five years. Johnson Property Group founder Kieth Johnson, who has held the site for 25 years, said it was a relief to see approvals finally secured after a years-long wait that left investors in uncertainty. "We have had investors and potential joint venture partners wanting to talk to us, but we couldn't do a thing," Mr Johnson said. "We had nothing to guarantee until (Friday, August 1)." "Unfortunately NSW is the slowest state in Australia to get approvals." The luxury waterfront project will bring a resort experience to the shores of Lake Macquarie, complete with a cutting-edge wellness centre and two world-class restaurants, as well as 160 waterfront apartments, conference facilities, and commercial and public space in a sprawling precinct designed by boundary-pushing architect firm Koichi Takada. Mr Johnson, who is the same developer behind Lake Macquarie's Watagan Park project, said the project was aimed at city-siders looking to escape to the regions in the post-COVID era, adding that designs had reduced the number of apartments but increased their size to cater to changing market tastes. "People want to move to the country. They want to move, but they want bigger units," he said. "It's a really luxurious lifestyle." He now hopes that, with development approvals secured, the project will move to detail designs and ultimately to tender within the next year. He estimated it would be a three-year build after that. "This project is about putting Lake Macquarie on the global stage," Mr Johnson said. "We're not just building something beautiful we're creating a destination that will showcase the best of this region to the world and leave a lasting legacy for generations to come." An earlier planning document indicated the project would create 398 jobs and some $15.8 million in salaries. The largest development project outside of Sydney is one step closer to being built after a protected development application - five years in consideration - was approved on Friday. The $665-million expansion of the Trinity Point precinct at Lake Macquarie has been sold as "Australia's leading waterfront destination" and Lake Macquarie's answer to the Sydney Opera House, but has been mired in planning red tape for the past five years. Johnson Property Group founder Kieth Johnson, who has held the site for 25 years, said it was a relief to see approvals finally secured after a years-long wait that left investors in uncertainty. "We have had investors and potential joint venture partners wanting to talk to us, but we couldn't do a thing," Mr Johnson said. "We had nothing to guarantee until (Friday, August 1)." "Unfortunately NSW is the slowest state in Australia to get approvals." The luxury waterfront project will bring a resort experience to the shores of Lake Macquarie, complete with a cutting-edge wellness centre and two world-class restaurants, as well as 160 waterfront apartments, conference facilities, and commercial and public space in a sprawling precinct designed by boundary-pushing architect firm Koichi Takada. Mr Johnson, who is the same developer behind Lake Macquarie's Watagan Park project, said the project was aimed at city-siders looking to escape to the regions in the post-COVID era, adding that designs had reduced the number of apartments but increased their size to cater to changing market tastes. "People want to move to the country. They want to move, but they want bigger units," he said. "It's a really luxurious lifestyle." He now hopes that, with development approvals secured, the project will move to detail designs and ultimately to tender within the next year. He estimated it would be a three-year build after that. "This project is about putting Lake Macquarie on the global stage," Mr Johnson said. "We're not just building something beautiful we're creating a destination that will showcase the best of this region to the world and leave a lasting legacy for generations to come." An earlier planning document indicated the project would create 398 jobs and some $15.8 million in salaries.
Sydney Morning Herald
21 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
The US economy keeps chugging along. Does everyone owe Trump an apology?
It is true that recession fears have subsided, though not entirely. In April, JPMorgan gave the United States a 60 per cent chance of falling into recession this year. By May, after Trump paused most tariffs, the bank had revised that to 40 per cent, where it stands today. But the headline GDP figures are not the full story. And Trump's tariffs – and threats of tariffs – have a lot to do with it. In the first few months of the year, as Trump began announcing border duties and the world awaited his so-called 'Liberation Day' on April 2, America's imports surged, with businesses and consumers rushing to beat the tariffs. Imports negatively affect GDP calculations. As such, GDP contracted by 0.5 per cent. In the most recent quarter, imports fell, and GDP returned to 3 per cent – the same strong growth figures the US posted in the middle of last year, under former president Joe Biden. Contrary to Trump's claims, he did not inherit an economic mess from his predecessor, but one of the fastest-growing developed economies in the world post-COVID-19 pandemic. Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell said it was better to focus on the combined growth figures for the first half of the year, to smooth out the volatility, which showed GDP rose at 1.2 per cent – down from an average 2.5 per cent last year. 'The moderation in growth largely reflects a slowdown in consumer spending,' he said on Wednesday. Business investment in equipment and intangibles was broadly up, he said, while activity in the housing sector remained weak. But generally speaking, the economy was solid, though inflation was still 'somewhat elevated'. 'It seems to me, and to almost the whole committee, that the economy is not performing as though restrictive policy is holding it back inappropriately,' Powell said, explaining the bank's decision to leave interest rates on hold at 4.25 to 4.5 per cent – despite Trump's intense pressure to cut. Consumer spending rose 1.4 per cent for the quarter, up from 0.5 per cent, even as Trump's new tariffs are raking in tens of billions of dollars in new tax revenue, and amid significant uncertainty about who is footing the bill and how much more there is to come. 'We're going to look back and either say, 'Wow, the economy was super resilient' … or we're going to say, 'Yeah, you could kind of feel it was weakening'.' Louise Sheiner, Brookings Institution And consumer sentiment, measured by the long-running University of Michigan survey, has bounced back into the 60s from just above 50 points. An update is due this Friday, US time. While tariffs have been in place for months and raised tens of billions of additional dollars for US government coffers, the new tariffs, which go into effect in a week, represent the first time since Trump came to power that there has been the semblance of certainty over what the rates will be – at least for now. Still, the US economy seems to be more robust than the doomsday predictions considered. So, do the world's economists owe Trump an apology? Maurice Obstfeld, of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, says it is too soon to decide. 'These behavioural shifts have made GDP data more volatile than usual,' he says. 'Let's wait for the tariffs to settle down at new, predictable levels and see what happens before we shoot the economists.' Louise Sheiner, an economist at the Brookings Institution, espoused a similar view to The New York Times: 'We're going to look back and either say, 'Wow, the economy was super resilient and these things didn't matter as much as we thought they would', or we're going to say, 'Yeah, you could kind of feel it was weakening'.' Justin Wolfers, an Australian economics professor at the University of Michigan, and a regular critic of Trump's economic agenda, says there is still a decent chance of the US economy heading south later this year. 'When I was asked in the first half of the year for a forecast of the chances of a recession, I was careful to give a conditional forecast: if they go for the 'Full Trump', then 75 per cent, and if they drop their nonsense, then 25 per cent,' he says. Loading 'As it happened, he started with the Full Trump, then TACO'd. So perhaps the correct probability is somewhere between 25 and 75 per cent, and probably something like 40 per cent. That still seems right to me.' The term TACO stands for Trump Always Chickens Out – a popular critique of the president's tendency to make scary announcements, before backtracking or reverting to the norm. 'The idea that a single quarterly reading on a single measure says anything about [the economy being a] miracle or mirage is silly on its face,' Wolfers says. 'The economy isn't as bad as folks forecast, but neither was the actual policy that the White House was telling us we should expect.' In moments of candour, the Trump administration acknowledges American consumers might pay higher prices for some goods, but it is convinced economic growth will compensate. Hassett said as much this week, noting real wages had grown, which 'means people have more money in their pockets than the price increases that they've seen'. Board appointees break ranks Trump is also desperate to stimulate economic growth with lower interest rates, hence his constant badgering of Jerome 'Too Late' Powell to cut the rate. Despite Trump insisting 'there is no inflation' (it is 2.7 per cent), the majority of the bank's board wants to see more data before it makes a move – although the market expects cuts later this year. Loading But for the first time in three decades, two governors dissented from Wednesday's decision. Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman – both Trump appointees to the board from his first term – voted to cut rates by 0.25 points. Both are considered candidates to replace Powell when his term expires next year. [In his dissenting reasons, published Friday in the US, Waller said tariffs only caused a one-off increase in prices, which the bank should 'look through', while soft growth meant monetary policy should be 'close to neutral'. The 'wait and see' approach was overly cautious, he said. Bowman said inflation had fallen - excluding tariff-related increases - and noted the slower growth in private domestic final purchases, a leading indicator of consumer spending.] Arthur Sinodinos, a former Australian ambassador to the US who now works at the Asia Group, says now that Australia's tariff rate has been confirmed at 10 per cent, its main worries will be what impact the tariff regime has on global economic conditions, as well as the US economy.
