NZ Safety Blackwoods has opened a major new distribution centre in Drury South, a move aimed at improving delivery speed, accuracy and supply certainty for customers across New Zealand, including exporters and logistics operators reliant on consistent access to critical products.
The nearly 18,000sqm facility consolidates five existing distribution centres into a single national hub, combining automation, high-density storage and streamlined fulfilment processes to support growing demand and rising expectations around delivery performance.
At full capacity, the site is expected to handle close to 4,000 product lines a day, with orders able to be picked and presented in as little as three minutes.
โCustomers rely on us for products that are fundamental to safety and productivity,โ says Chris Mason, Head of Operations for NZ Safety Blackwoods. โWhen something is missing or delayed, work can stop. This new distribution centre is about reducing that risk โ by moving product through our network faster, more accurately and with far greater reliability.โ
For export-focused businesses โ particularly manufacturers, infrastructure providers and logistics firms โย the ability to access safety equipment, engineering supplies and consumables quickly can directly affect production timelines and delivery commitments to international markets.
The facility is built around an AutoStore automated storage and retrieval system, implemented by Kardex, which can present a new product to staff every four seconds during peak periods. Picking efficiency has increased tenfold, with a single team member able to process up to 300 product lines per hour.
High-density storage is a key feature, with 38,000 totes โ each capable of holding 32 product lines โย housed within a footprint of just 1,000sqm. This allows more inventory to be held centrally, improving responsiveness to customer orders nationwide.
By consolidating five facilities into one, NZ Safety Blackwoods aims to reduce split deliveries, minimise handling and shorten delivery times, a shift that could have flow-on benefits for exporters managing tight shipping windows and inventory cycles.
The site supports more than 100,000 SKUs, improving inventory visibility and order accuracy while enabling consolidated invoicing and simpler procurement processes.
โFor more than 100 years, NZ Safety Blackwoods has existed to support New Zealand businesses with the products and expertise they rely on every day,โ says Andy Antoci, General Manager.
โToday 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.โ
The investment comes at a time when supply chain resilience and reliability are under increased scrutiny, particularly for export businesses managing global demand volatility and shipping constraints.
NZ Safety Blackwoods Drury South Distribution Centre opening officiated by former NZ PM Bill English.
The facility has also been designed with operational safety in mind, using automation to reduce manual handling and separate staff from machinery zones.
โBuilding a new facility from the ground up gave us the opportunity to design safety into every part of the operation,โ says Antoci. โIt creates a better working environment for our team and supports long term operational stability.โ
โThe technology has been implemented with a clear focus on safety-by-design and people-first operations, reducing higher-risk manual tasks while supporting consistent, repeatable performance at scale.โ
Sustainability features are integrated into the build, including a 0.5MW solar-ready system, rainwater harvesting, energy-efficient lighting and building management systems. Consolidation of multiple sites into one is also expected to reduce internal freight movements and packaging.
The facility was developed in partnership with Calder Stewart at Drury South Crossing.
โThis state-of-the-art facility reflects the growing demand for modern, efficient and sustainable warehousing infrastructure across New Zealand,โ says Ben Murphy, General Manager Property at Calder Stewart.
โPartnering 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.โ
Grant Smith, Director of Business Development โ Kardex AutoStore ANZ, adds: โWorking closely together, weโve created a modern fulfilment centre using AutoStore technology and Kardex software to bring NZ Safety Blackwoods operations into one consolidated footprint. Increasing accuracy and delivering intelligent order fulfilment with Kardex innovations that are first of their kind in New Zealand improves NZ Safety Blackwoodsโ service delivery capabilities as the business grows.โ
