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GMK BRISBANE IS MOVING!

GMK Logistics is pleased to announce that our Brisbane depot, currently based in Ormeau, will be moving to a new custom-built, 5 Star Green Star rated premises at 20 Arthur Dixon Court, Yatala.  This 22,000sqm, state-of-the-art warehousing and distribution facility is in the impressive new Yatala Central Estate.

The following operational changes will occur from the start of business on Monday, 19 June 2023:

Transport Operations

Transport Operations will commence from the new Yatala address on Monday, 19 June 2023.

Customer Collections from the GMK Depot

Customer collections will commence from the new Yatala address from Monday, 19 June 2023.  Any consignments still awaiting collection at our Ormeau depot at the close of business on Friday, 16 June 2023 will be transferred to Yatala and will be ready for collection there on Monday, 19 June 2023.

Deliveries

No deliveries will be accepted at our Ormeau address from Monday, 19 June 2023.  All incoming freight and containers need to be redirected to the Yatala address from this date.

Warehouse Operations

GMK will commence the movement of stock from our current warehouse to the new warehouse from Saturday, 17 June 2023.  Whilst this process will not be completed until 30 June 2023, please send all orders through to us as normal.  All order processing will be completed and managed across both sites throughout the relocation, with GMK staff located at both facilities.

The contact details for our new Brisbane depot are:

Address:

20 Arthur Dixon Court

Yatala, QLD 4207

Telephone:

(07) 5549 2859 (unchanged)

Should you have any queries during this time please contact our friendly customer service team on the above number.  Whilst we will be doing everything possible to ensure that normal service levels are maintained during the move, your patience during this busy period will be greatly appreciated.

 

 

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GMK Team Digs Deep for Shining Stars

Every year, the Sydney team at GMK Logistics conducts a Christmas Appeal for the benefit of a local charity.

This year we chose to support the Shining Stars Foundation, a registered not for profit that focuses on the homeless and less fortunate.  They run both homeless and community outreach programs across Macarthur and outer Sydney locations.  The charity is 100% volunteer run, and they strive to collaborate with the community, businesses and charity partners.

Knowing that many local families were doing it tough this year, we asked everyone to bring in a suitable toy or a food item to donate.  The result was overwhelming, with some amazing toys and food items donated that will make a real difference this Christmas for many local families.

Pictured above is Belinda Barrett from our Accounts Department, surrounded by the very generous donations from the GMK Sydney team.  Thanks also to Amy Burgin, our Payroll Officer, who organises the appeal every year.

GMK is proud of its long history of supporting our local communities and looks forward to continuing the tradition for many years to come.

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GMK Logistics – Celebrating 60 Years

GMK Logistics proudly celebrates sixty years of service to the Australian flooring industry this month.  Our story started on 31 October 1962 when John Kane registered G.M. Kane & Sons Pty Ltd, naming it after his parents George and Muriel.  He started with just one truck, providing general freight services between Sydney and Camden, but was soon specialising in flooring products.  John firmly believed that the way to differentiate yourself was to provide exceptional customer service.  This commitment remains a key part of the GMK philosophy to this day.

In 2005, John appointed his daughter Sharon as Managing Director.  Sharon had worked in the family business since leaving school and understood the operation well.  On 25 March 2008, she rebranded the business as GMK Logistics and opened depots in all major capital cities, offering 3PL services and a national transport network to the flooring industry.

In the background, but playing a key role in running the operation, was David Knagge, who had joined the business in 2004.  His extensive knowledge of flooring and transport continues to influence the operation and culture of GMK.  As David frequently tells the new generation of GMK managers: “In transport, there are many factors outside our control.  However, if we keep our customers informed and give them a solution, they almost always understand.  It’s not about what you get wrong but how you recover.”

In 2015, Perth based and ASX listed company CTI Logistics Limited was looking to expand to the Eastern States.  They soon identified GMK Logistics as a strong brand and a great starting point for their national ambitions.  Acquiring GMK in June 2015, CTI has continued to support its development as a specialised logistics business dedicated to the flooring industry.

CTI has also continued to invest in the GMK business, a prime example being the purchase of a custom-made “state of the art” carpet-cutting table, which was commissioned in Melbourne in April 2019.  Built by Perpetual Machine Company in the USA, the Carpet Boss III represents a very substantial investment by GMK in its customers and the Australian flooring industry.

Also in 2019, GMK implemented the Jaix Logistics Software suite, an ERP product developed specifically for the Australian logistics sector.  GMK had been using Jaix in Melbourne and after examining other options, implemented the Jaix Transport, Warehouse and Accounts modules.  The system provides our customers with full visibility of their product from receipt, processing of orders and delivery to the customer.  End-to-end scanning and sign-on-glass enables real-time track and trace and immediate POD visibility.

In 2022, in conjunction with our parent company, we achieved International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) certification for Quality, Environmental and Health & Safety Management Systems, another significant accomplishment. 

These developments put GMK at the leading edge of the Australian flooring logistics market.  Our warehouse customers now have a distinct advantage over their competition, including:

  • speed to market, with immediate access to GMK’s extensive national transport network
  • world class equipment and IT solutions, with full product visibility
  • the ability to focus on their core business without the distraction of a warehouse operation
  • no warehouse WHS or HR compliance issues; and
  • reduced capital investment and improved cashflow.

We now have over 85,000 square metres of warehousing space, a fleet of over 100 specialised vehicles and 221 experienced staff and sub-contractors.  Whilst the GMK story features many strong and focused individuals over its sixty-year history, it is those 221 committed Australians, working together as a team, who set out every day to deliver the best possible service to every GMK customer.

 

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GMK Delivers in good times and bad!

GMK’s Brisbane team are currently partnering with Koala to deliver mattresses to some of the worst hit flood regions on the Australian East Coast.

Koala are a highly charitable business and the only Australian mattress and furniture retailer to be part of the 1% for the Planet organisation.

Koala quickly recognised the need for new bedding following the recent floods, particularly amongst those in remote communities.

They decided to donate over 300 mattresses and additional furniture and enlisted the help of GMK’s parent company, CTI Logistics, to transport them from around the country to GMK’s Brisbane warehouse.

GMK are warehousing and distributing the much needed products to affected areas in NSW and QLD at no cost.

A big thank you to our QLD State Manager, Craig Cullen and Depot Manager, Herman Verdeuzeldonk, for generously offering to drive the trucks and complete the deliveries in their own time over the last few weekends.

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GMK Logistics Opens New Transport Service to the NSW Central Tablelands

GMK Logistics is excited to announce the launch of a new transport service to the Central Tablelands region of NSW including the Blue Mountains, Lithgow, Bathurst and Orange.

After Burke’s Transport announced their pending closure in February, GMK has decided to take the initiative and commence a regular service to Orange via the Blue Mountains, Lithgow and Bathurst.  This service will originate out of our Sydney depot in Gregory Hills.  Burke’s have been GMK’s agent for this region for over fifteen years and their closure has created a great opportunity for GMK to service the area directly and expand its already extensive NSW network.

The demand has been driven from the flooring industry’s need to have a specialist transport partner servicing their customers in this growing region of NSW.  There are a number of flooring retailers in the area, all committed and passionate about their business.  We look forward to providing them with an outstanding transport solution and developing new, long term relationships.

GMK Logistics has been delivering specialised logistics services to the flooring industry for nearly sixty years in Australia. We provide a fully outsourced warehousing solution, including carpet and vinyl cutting services, and will deliver your product on time and in good condition, anywhere in Australia.

Please contact Richard Maybank on 1300 796 208 for further information.

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GMK Logistics delivers Christmas Cheer to local families in need

This year, the team at GMK Logistics chose to support the Christmas Appeal for the Toys ‘n’ Tucker initiative sponsored by Anglicare.

Knowing there were many local families doing it tough, particularly during the uncertainty of the past year, we asked everyone to bring in a suitable toy or a food item to donate.

The result was overwhelming, with some amazing toys donated along with a range of food items that will make a real difference this Christmas for many local families.

Pictured above is Amy Burgin and Rachel Satara from our Sydney Depot, surrounded by the very generous donations from the GMK Sydney employees.

Anglicare are packaging our donations into hampers to be distributed to the local families most in need.

GMK is proud of its long history of supporting the local community and look forward to continue doing so for years to come.

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GMK Opens New Transport Service To Ballarat

GMK Logistics is excited to announce the launch of a new transport service to the Ballarat region in the Central Highlands of Victoria.

Famous for the Eureka Stockade and its historic past, Ballarat has a population of more than 105,000 which makes it Victoria’s third largest city and also the third largest inland city in Australia.  Focussing on the transport of flooring products, GMK’s new service will commence on Monday 29 June 2020 from our Melbourne Depot, based in Laverton North.

The demand has been driven from the flooring industry’s need to have a specialist transport partner servicing their customers in this growing region of Victoria.  There are around a dozen flooring retailers in the area, all committed and passionate about their business.  We look forward to providing them with outstanding transport solutions and developing new, long term relationships.

For over 53 years the team at GMK Logistics has been delivering specialised logistics services to the flooring industry in Australia. We provide a fully outsourced warehousing solution, including carpet and vinyl cutting services, and will deliver your product on time and in good condition, anywhere in Australia.

Please contact Richard Maybank on 1300 796 208 for further information.

 

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GMK’s New Cutting Machine Transforming the Flooring Logistics Industry

GMK has brought the future of carpet cutting to Australia.

GMK’s new Carpet Boss III cutting machine is now fully operational in GMK’s Melbourne depot and is fast transforming the flooring logistics industry. Built by Perpetual Machine Company in U.S.A., it represents a very substantial investment by GMK in its customers and the Australian flooring industry.

The Carpet Boss III is already helping GMK to better serve its customers. It is capable of an impressive 45 cuts per hour when running at capacity.  That is 342 cuts in a standard day shift, which includes check measure balances and doffing off.  It’s the most advanced cutting machine in Australia.

The Carpet Boss III is fully-automatic, with a Dual-Precision Measuring System which ensures carpet cutting accuracy.  It has a high speed, four blade, scissor type cross cutter with the added benefit of an adjustable single blade carpet slitter.

Another key feature is the heavy duty, 4 metre accumulation table for staging rolls before they are automatically wrapped. Each roll is securely wrapped in plastic with core inserts at each end that seal the carpet for added protection and provide excellent presentation to the receiving customer.

GMK has also recently rolled out the Jaix Warehouse Management System [Jaix] which incorporates full RF scanning capability.  All carpet rolls are scanned upon receipt at GMK, which makes the carpet immediately available to order.  Outbound and cut rolls are scanned out of storage when ordered. If a roll requires a cut, it is scanned into the cutting machine location, which is capable of housing up to 10 mother rolls, where they are scheduled for efficient cutting.

The Carpet Boss III will be set up to talk directly to Jaix and automatically update stock records with accurate carpet measurements after each cut.  The system also has the smarts to foresee any opportunities for a second cut from the same roll, which reduces double handling.  GMK shares this efficiency with its customers. Jaix will also generate a customer report at the end of each day summarising all cuts and providing visibility of work completed, work in progress and all balances.

This new machine, along with the new Jaix IT solution, puts GMK right at the cutting edge of the Australian flooring logistics market. Customers utilising the GMK outsourced warehouse solution now have a number of distinct advantages over their competition, including:

* speed to market, with immediate access to GMK’s extensive national transport network
* world class equipment and IT solutions, with full product visibility
* the ability to focus on their core business without the distraction of a warehouse operation
* no warehouse WHS or HR compliance issues, and
* reduced capital investment and improved cashflow.

For further enquiries or to arrange a viewing of the new Carpet Boss III, please contact GMK on 1300 796 208.

 

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GMK Logistics delivers Christmas Cheer to local families in need

The team at GMK Logistics decided to do something a little different this year to help celebrate Christmas.

Knowing there were many local families doing it tough, we asked everyone to bring in a suitable toy or a food item to donate.

The result was overwhelming, with some amazing toys donated together with a range of food items that will make a real difference this Christmas for many local families.

Pictured above is Amy Burgin and Rachel Satara from our Sydney depot, presenting our donations to the nearby Salvation Army depot.

The Salvos are packaging our donations into hampers to be distributed to the local families most in need.

GMK is proud of its long history of supporting the local community.

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GMK Completes Major Extension To Sydney Warehouse

GMK’s new Sydney warehouse in Gregory Hills was opened in January 2016. At 16,300 square metres it was more than double the size of our previous depot at nearby Smeaton Grange.

Despite this significant increase, the new facility was soon at capacity with two of our largest customers entrusting us with the care of their high quality product in our modern, purpose built facility. Accordingly, in 2017 we commenced construction of a 6,100 square metre extension with racking for both rolled and palletized flooring products.

This extension was completed in April 2018 and has already achieved strong uptake from new and existing customers. However we still have space available so if you have any warehousing requirements please do not hesitate to contact our NSW State Manager, Sarah Rigby, on 1300 796 208.