Toyota SA starts construction on its parts distribution warehouse

Investing R365 million into the project, Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) has begun construction on its parts distribution warehouse situated on Atlas Road in the East Rand of Johannesburg. The warehouse will grow from 40 000m² to 80 000m² resulting in it being the largest automotive parts’ warehouse in the Southern Hemisphere.

“This investment will also strengthen our position as a Toyota regional manufacturing hub with an ability to fully support any locally manufactured vehicle, regardless of its destination. This will further create an environment in which Toyota and the automotive industry can further expand operations, in turn benefitting our local suppliers and the automotive component industry,” Andrew Kirby, President and CEO, Toyota South Africa Motors.

Over 250 Toyota, Hino and Lexus dealerships will benefit from the improved service and replacement parts availability in the Southern Africa region. The warehouse will also supply 70 international centres where South African-built Toyota vehicles are sold and serviced. The warehouse already incorporated environmentally-friendly infrastructure such as a water collection and irrigation system aimed at reducing the total water consumption. The warehouse also benefitted from an underground 175 000-litre water retention tank that stored water captured on the roof and then drained through a bio-filter before being used as an irrigation supply for the surrounding landscapes.

The expansion phase of the warehouse will incorporate a further 2 million-litre tank to serve the same purpose. The expansion phase experienced a slight delay during the months of April and May, however, TSAM and the company responsible for the construction of the original structure, Investec, remain confident in the official 2021 opening date. In addition to creating a larger parts distribution facility, the expansion will also result in the facility absorbing the duties of the first 20 000m² warehouse located in Sandton.

“The sheer size and scale of the warehouse we are building is a clear indication that we are committed to the South Africa automotive sector, as well as playing regional hub to the rest of the continent. We would like to remain Africa’s most popular vehicle brand and a reliable supply of parts flowing through from our parts’ warehouse is integral to our strategy,” Leon Theron, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Toyota South Africa Motors.

“The project has been delayed and will now also be impacted by the December holiday period. The original plan was to complete construction by the end of November, but we then lost two months due to lockdown. However, we are pleased that everyone involved in the project is working hard to minimise the impact of the delay,” Anand Pather, Vice President of Customer Service, Toyota South Africa Motors.

Both TSAM and Investec has since the lowering of the lockdown measures introduced screening and sanitation stations for workers returning to work and continuously encourage physical distancing. Furthermore, TSAM and Investec have already updated the design and layout of the second phase of the facility to promote physical separation and social distancing and include space for temperature screening and ensure adequate ventilation.