Salta wins race to sign up Walkinshaw Group for Nexus industrial park

Ryan Walkinshaw, head of Walkinshaw Automotive Group and owner of the Walkinshaw Andretti United race team. Picture: Getty Images

The Tarascio family’s development group Salta has signed Australian automotive giant Walkinshaw Automotive Group to its growing Nexus Dandenong South Industrial Estate in a major pre-lease in Melbourne’s southeast suburbs.

The Walkinshaw Group is now headquartered in Clayton. It produces more than 8000 vehicles a year and employs more than 1000 people. Its businesses include manufacturing and engineering partnerships, Walkinshaw Performance, Walkinshaw Sports and the Walkinshaw Andretti United Supercars Team.

The landmark deal will see Walkinshaw Automotive Group occupy a significant 106,825sq m site at 820 Taylors Rd. It will have a 46,338sq m custom-built warehouse, 4287sq m of office space, 33,247sq m of handstand, and 700 on-grade carparks.

Salta managing director Sam Tarascio said the business was excited to partner with Walkinshaw to help the company achieve its growth goals.

“Salta has worked closely with Walkinshaw to design and deliver a state-of-the-art facility that is able to accommodate the high standards of its unique business needs,” Mr Tarascio said.

“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 added.

Salta managing director Sam Tarascio. Picture: David Geraghty

Walkinshaw Group director Ryan Walkinshaw said the prime location, coupled with Salta’s reputation and industrial expertise, made Nexus the ideal match for Walkinshaw’s expansion needs.

It will consolidate three of its existing sites into the new headquarters at the Taylors Rd site.

The company occupies Walkinshaw Park in Melbourne’s Clayton South, which had been overhauled into a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, and it is yet to determine which of its operations will shift to the new facility and which will stay.

“Local vehicle development and re-manufacturing is booming, and with the growth in our automotive business that we have seen since 2018, we needed a modern facility to not only match the size of our growth but one that would be tailored to the various sectors of our business,” Mr Walkinshaw said.

Salta’s 180ha Nexus Dandenong South Industrial Estate is one of the most in-demand industrial precincts in Melbourne due to its proximity to the CBD, connections to the Port of Melbourne, and major business areas.

Salta acquired the Dandenong South precinct between 2006 and 2012 to capitalise on rising warehousing and logistics demand in Melbourne’s southeast.