NZL Group will move to Tauriko

NZL Group will move to a high-tech 17,000sq m warehouse to be built in the Tauriko Business Estate - on the site indicated by a blue border. Photo / Supplied

Freight and logistics company NZL Group is moving from Mt Maunganui to a $20 million purpose-built facility at the Tauriko Business Estate in Western Tauranga.

The design and build deal, brokered by Colliers International industrial leasing specialist Rob Schoeser, is the largest the agency's Tauranga office has been involved in.

Schoeser says NZL Group will move to a high-tech 17,000sq m warehouse facility with a new head office.

The development is being undertaken by former MP Bob Clarkson, who has a substantial landholding in the Tauriko area.

Schoeser says it's a big move for NZL, which has been Clarkson's tenant in Mt Maunganui, as well as leasing other warehouses in the area.

"There are always challenges when moving a company of this scale, but the advantages of having multiple warehouses under one roof make it the most efficient way to go," he says.

"There's only a limited supply of land around the company's Mt Maunganui headquarters, which meant Tauriko was the only option. It's the only area of Tauranga with enough land for such a large development.

"NZL Group is a big driver of linking the Bay of Plenty economy to the national and international market overseas, so I'm incredibly pleased that Colliers International has been able to find a great solution for them."

NZL's CEO Simon Hepburn says a purpose-built facility will make the company more efficient as it continues to grow.

"We're excited to be moving to a state-of-the-art warehouse that will allow NZL Group to scale as we expand."

NZL Group has signed up to a 15 year lease with future rights of renewals.

The company's new facility will be built on a site of about 3ha off State Highway 36 in Whango Place.

Its large warehouse will feature a truck drive through facility and an extensive yard with 26 truck parks and container drop areas.

A new office block will house NZL Group's headquarters and driver facilities.

The site's location off SH36 gives it easy access to the rest of Tauranga via SH29, SH29A and SH2. It is only a 15-minute drive to the Port of Tauranga off-peak, and 20 minutes from Tauranga Airport.

Schoeser says the facility is expected to be completed in mid-2018.

Clarkson says the development is one of the biggest he has undertaken.

"The bulk store at Mt Maunganui, Bunnings Warehouse and the ASB Baypark Stadium were big projects for my team. This one will be a great challenge and I can't wait to get the digger started."