A FAMILY-owned South Albury freight company is shifting its base to a new $10 million depot to be built at Wodonga's Logic industrial estate.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The move by O'Brien Transport is expected to lead to 40 new jobs being added to the existing staff of 110.
Company directors and brothers Mark and Dean O'Brien said the relocation was driven by the need to expand, with the Logic site eight hectares and its existing property in Atkins Street only 2.4 hectares.
"We're too big for that spot," Mark said after Dean remarked "we've outgrown that area" and "we need more room".
When the business, which started in 1948, began in South Albury in the 1980s it had eight prime movers, it now has 50.
Construction work on the block, which is next to the XLam factory at the Barnawartha North precinct, is earmarked to begin in early February and be complete by the end of 2024.
"It's probably going to create about 40 jobs," Mark O'Brien said.
"They'll be with warehousing, allocators and forklifts and there will be driving jobs created out of it because there will be shuttle work but it will mainly be in the warehouse."
The O'Briens had looked at moving to Albury's Nexus industrial estate or Wagga's Bomen business park, but chose Logic for its proximity to clients and the railway freight hub operated by SCT.
"Our main customers are over here," Mark said before commenting "the rail is very important to why we came out here".
"We went up and looked at Wagga and Wagga are doing the same thing with their rail hub, they're building exactly this up there at the moment, they've got massive infrastructure, but they're probably a few years behind here, but the land will be snapped up, up there."
The Victorian government has provided some funding for the relocation, with Regional Development Minister Gayle Tierney trumpeting the investment.
"By backing businesses like O'Brien Transport to expand locally, we are supporting the region's ability to compete domestically and internationally and that will attract more growth, more investment and more jobs," Ms Tierney said.
The O'Briens added Wodonga Council, which owns the industrial estate, had also been welcoming.
"Wodonga Council has done a good job, they've got it going and this place is going to grow," Dean said before Mark added "we're very happy with the dealings we've had with them".
O'Brien Transport was formed by the brothers' grandfather Dasher O'Brien and then steered by their parents Graeme 'Grumpy' O'Brien and Kerry O'Brien.
The next generation, in the form of their sons Campbell and Jesse, is now entering the fray with the boys spending their gap years working in the business.
The South Albury site will be retained with some operations still there.
O'Brien Transport conducts truck runs between Brisbane and Adelaide, with depots in Sydney and Melbourne.
