Sanitarium manufacturing facility

CLIENT

The Sanitarium Health Food Company has an enviable reputation in the food industry for the manufacture of breakfast cereals, soy products, vegetarian foods, spreads and healthy snack foods.

OBJECTIVES

Wiley was contracted to investigate options for their Berkeley Vale facility, their largest manufacturing site in Australia.  Manufacturing growth had pushed products to outside storage which meant double handling of products.

After consideration of expansion options, the project requirements were a 10,000m² warehouse expansion for raw materials and finished products, increased cool room capacity, truck docks and site works.

CHALLENGES

Working around Sanitarium’s 24 hours production and logistics functions

• Design for swampy ground conditions
• Tight design specifications for fire sprinkler system (ESFR)
• Expansion of a large building with fire escape tunnels.

SOLUTIONS

Advice

• Wiley presented a range of concept options with budget costs for the warehouse expansion.

Design

• Preparation of Statement of Environmental Effects and obtaining development and building approvals
• Close collaboration with materials handling equipment suppliers for efficient warehouse layout
• Complete design and documentation of building, services and external works.

Construction

• Modifications to the existing structure to permit expansion
• Responsibility of contracting and site management of all construction trades
• Close coordination with Sanitarium operations team.

RESULTS

Wiley delivered a major expansion of the Sanitarium facility under an open-book contract, providing operational efficiencies by eliminating off-site storage and double handling.