Electrolux opens new distribution hub in Ravenhall’s Horizon 3023 estate

Kurt Hegvold, Cr Kathy Majdlik and Adam Cich cutting the ribbon at Electrolux Ravenhall

In another milestone event for Ravenhall’s Horizon 3023 estate, Melton City Councillor Kathy Majdlik joined Kurt Hegvold, Electrolux Managing Director Australia and New Zealand, and Adam Cich, Executive Vice President and Head of Electrolux Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, to officially open a new Electrolux warehouse.

The newly-constructed centre and office will serve as the Victorian and Tasmanian hub for distribution of household appliances to retail stores and consumers, and will provide more than 40 jobs to local residents.

Kurt Hegvold said the opening was the culmination of a strategic focus to deliver a facility that will take Electrolux into the future, with positive impacts for the environment, the local community, and employee safety. 

“The construction of our Ravenhall facility in Victoria continues the long and exciting commitment of Electrolux to find better, sustainable solutions in everything from design and operations to our workplace, suppliers and products,” he said.

“Our approach to this project has been based upon these three pillars – safety, sustainability and efficiency.

“If we focus firmly on safety and sustainability, we know the efficiencies will naturally follow. We want to be a business that people want to work for, a business that people want to work with and one the local Ravenhall community are proud to call their neighbour.”

Adam Cich, who attended the opening with a delegation of interstate and international Electrolux staff, thanked the local team for delivering the building against an ambitious timeline and under the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re building facilities that improve the welfare of our people, have less impact on our community and have improved access to reduce turnaround times for traffic movements thereby reducing road transport,” he said.

“Strategically, the Australia and New Zealand region plays an enormous role in the strength of our business. Not only in Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, but in the entire Electrolux organisation. It’s fitting then that as we look to the future and shaping living for the better that we’re seeing that vision being brought to life in facilities such as this one we see today.”

Electric forklift with pressure controlled side clamps to lift whitegoods and appliances.

The Ravenhall warehouse

The Ravenhall warehouse has been designed with an emphasis on utilising natural resources and reducing emissions and has a Six Star energy rating. Electrolux has also applied for Zero Landfill certification for the Ravenhall site.  

The installation of a 200 kW solar energy system will enable Electrolux to power their entire electric forklift fleet by solar and dispense with LPG entirely.

Solar energy will provide more than 80% of the electrical requirements for the facility. In addition, rain harvesting capacity will be utilised for landscape irrigation and toilet facilities.

The building’s features include:

• 200kW solar PV array expected to generate approximately 250,000kWh of electricity per year. Base building energy use is predicted to be 150,000kWh per year. Compared to business-as-usual development of same size (designed to building code, no solar) the project is expected to save 475,000kWh of electricity per year

• Installation of 100kL RWT for reuse in landscape irrigation and toilet/urinal flushing.

• Water efficient fixtures and fittings. Compared to a business-as-usual project of the same size, the Ravenhall warehouse will save 3,382kL per year of mains potable water each year, the equivalent of 1.35 Olympic swimming pools.

• Reduction in light pollution to the night sky

• Reduction in sound pollution through materials used in the build 

• Three electric charging stations for cars 

Employee safety

Electrolux says the safety of its employees and visitors at Ravenhall is critical to maintaining a sustainable work environment.

Measures introduced to enhance site safety include:

• Integrated truck coupling to ensure loading docks are secure before truck can move

• Personal proximity sensors to indicate presence of people to forklift drivers

• Fall protection integrated into loading docks

• Adjustable work platforms for service to prevent need for product lifting.