Walkinshaw Group has commenced construction on its new home in the Nexus Dandenong South precinct in partnership with Salta, an integrated property group.
Salta and Walkinshaw executives, construction partner FDC, consultants from TMX and Watson Young, and the project’s funding syndicate attended a ground-breaking ceremony on July 11 to officially announce the partnership and start of construction.
Aunty Caroline and Paul Kelly were also in attendance, performing a Welcome to Country and traditional smoking ceremony to recognise the traditional landowners and welcome the delegation to the event.
The Walkinshaw Group’s businesses include Walkinshaw Automotive Group, Walkinshaw Performance, New Age Caravans, Walkinshaw Sports, and the Walkinshaw Andretti United Supercars Team.
Walkinshaw also provides consulting, engineering, and design services to various industry participants. The Walkinshaw Group produces 12,000 units per year and employs 1200 people.
The 100,000 square meter site, located at 820 Taylors Road, Dandenong South, will be completed in the fourth quarter of 2025 and includes custom-built warehousing, office space, a hardstand, and 700 car parks.
Inside, Walkinshaw will continue its remanufacturing programmes for some of the Australian market’s largest automotive Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in separate, secure areas and continue to provide its engineering and manufacturing solutions.
Notably, the site will be a massive step towards the group’s carbon neutrality, with solar power to match the site’s utility usage, waste initiatives and access to the commercial rail link.
More announcements will follow on the exact make-up of the new site before officially moving in at the end of 2025.
“It is a significant day for the Walkinshaw Automotive Group and our long-term commitment to the Australian manufacturing and engineering industries here in Australia,” Walkinshaw Group director and chief executive Ryan Walkinshaw says.
“Since 2018, Walkinshaw Automotive Group has seen significant growth, which meant the need for us to find a new home that met all of our unique requirements, so we are delighted to partner with Salta to make this a reality. This site also continues our journey to carbon neutrality, which is extremely important in our eyes.
“This new, state-of-the-art facility ensures the Walkinshaw Automotive Group continues our expansion and our ability to be industry leaders in engineering and manufacturing, all from under one roof. It creates a standalone hub for the business but with separate, secure locations to protect each customer and their programmes.
“The consolidation of our manufacturing and engineering facilities will also help make us more competitive on a global scale by improving efficiencies and investing in the latest technologies.”
“We’d like to thank the Victorian Government Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions for their support and commitment to local manufacturing, Salta, and TMX for their help during the process,” he says.
“Salta has worked closely with Walkinshaw to design and deliver a facility that can accommodate the high standards of its unique business needs,” Salta managing director Sam Tarascio says.
“This agreement demonstrates a strong vote of confidence in the southeast’s industrial market, and it is yet another example of Salta’s proven track record of collaborating with our clients to create custom-made solutions in strategic locations,” he says.
