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SPECIAL

Ford Territory

SPECIAL

Ford Territory

Premier Launches 'Unique' Business Park

Staff, Tuesday April 10, 2001.

Page 1 of 1

The development, National Business Park, has potential to bring a number of Ford's suppliers together onto one location with direct access to the assembly line at the Ford plant. Other non automotive businesses are also expected to be attracted to the unique location.

According to MAB Business Parks' General Manager John Gibson, the 55 hectare site will offer direct access not only to Ford but also to the Hume Highway via a new tree-lined boulevard to be established through the Ford site. The park's wide roads have been designed to provide access for B-Double trucks.

Ford President Geoff Polites said the location of a number of Ford suppliers on the one site, directly adjacent to Ford, would enable the company to take a further big step toward total efficiency in its manufacturing operations.

For some years the company has utilised Japanese principles of 'Just In Time' manufacturing, in which parts and other supplies for its production line are manufactured and delivered as close as possible to the time at which they are actually needed by Ford - doing away with the traditional need for massive storage space and double-handling of materials.

"This project is the next step in this on-going evolution: in-line sequenced delivery of parts and components. Rather than waiting for parts to be brought from locations across the city, it will be possible for Ford suppliers to produce many components and sub-assemblies at facilities on the National Business Park and transfer them directly to the production line as they are needed,” Mr. Polites said.

Already, Venture Industries is a supplier located immediately to the north, at the entrance to National Business Park. It operates a regular truck shuttle service between the Venture plant and the Broadmeadows Assembly Plant 24 times a day. This type of operation is likely to be replicated and expanded among businesses moving to National Business Park.

"This will deliver huge benefits to Ford, and to its supplier companies which choose to locate at the National Business Park," Mr Gibson said.

"Of course, we expect a number of other businesses will also find the location strategically ideal - being on the Hume Highway and only a very short drive to Melbourne Airport.

"Combined with other business parks under development in Melbourne's north, all with first class infrastructure and landscaping, we believe MAB is making a substantial contribution to renewing Melbourne's industrial capacity throughout the northern corridor."

MAB's National Business Park follows three other MAB developments under way in the same region: Northcorp Industry Park, at the intersection of Hume Highway and the Western Ring Road, Global Business Park, adjacent to Tullamarine Freeway, and Translink Business Park, adjacent to the Calder Freeway.

MAB Business Parks has been a leader in developing world-class new business and industry parks in Melbourne, creating quality environments which are a great improvement from the developments which have previously dominated much of Melbourne industry.

"After studying the best of what the world has to offer, MAB Business Parks set out to change the shape of business park development in Australia," Mr Gibson said. "National Business Park is the latest example of that effort."

Mr Gibson said the National Business Park at Campbellfield benefited from the progressive attitude of the City of Hume, a skilled and growing local workforce, ready access to services of all kinds, and easy access to Melbourne's CBD via the Ring Road and City Link.

"Access will be improved even more by a planned diversion of the Hume Highway between Craigieburn South and Campbellfield, reducing congestion at key intersections and further improving travel times to places like Melbourne Airport and Melbourne's ports.

"This area of Melbourne will be the greatest beneficiary of the Ring Road, Citylink and the Craigieburn by-pass. We're delighted we were chosen by Ford to develop this important new business park, as we believe it will make an important contribution to the corporate future of many organisations."

Further media information:
Mr. Andrew Suttle
Development Manager
MAB Business Parks
Phone: (03) 9804-8995
Fax: (03) 9827-0993
Mobile: 0418 149 219
Email: asuttle@mabcorp.com.au

Mike Jarvis
General Manager,Communications
Ford Motor Company
Phone: (03) 9359 7739
Fax: (03) 9359 8900
Mobile: 0412 305 828
Email: mjarvis1@ford.com

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