The new facility will become the company’s national parts distribution centre, replacing two nearby facilities. It includes 500 square metres of office space and sits on a 40,910-square-metre site.

Ground was broken on the new distribution centre in June, with construction now well underway. Honda is expected to move into the purpose-built facility in third quarter 2023.

Melbourne Airport Chief of Commercial Property and Retail Andrew Gardiner welcomed Honda to the estate, saying that he was thrilled to have another international brand recognise the value of the airport’s location.

“Honda is a global brand known for its automotive, motorcycle and power equipment products, and we are pleased that we are able to offer them our unique location to support their local business objectives,” he said.

“While our main business at the airport is of course aviation, our commercial property business also underpins our success, and that was particularly apparent throughout the pandemic. 

“The Melbourne Airport Business Park is Australia’s largest business park, spanning in excess of 500 hectares. We offer tenants like Honda fast access to air freight, on-site 24/7 security and close connections to arterial roads so that they can get their products to their customers quickly and easily.”

Honda Australia’s Chief Operating Officer Stephen Collins said the company was excited to be moving ahead with the next phase of its business transformation plan.

“We are now making significant investments across the broader Honda business to strengthen our local operations,” he said.

“We will be bringing all our automotive, motorcycle and power equipment parts warehousing and distribution together at the new, purpose-built facility. As ‘One Honda’ in Australia, we will have greater scale to realise our full potential and best serve our diverse range of customers.”

CBRE Director Daniel Eramo represented Melbourne Airport in the negotiations, with CBRE Senior Director Todd Grima acting on behalf of Honda.

Mr Grima noted, “The process undertaken identified Melbourne Airport as the ultimate location for Honda’s new distribution centre. It ensured the right building solution could be delivered, matched with competitive market terms.”