An Australian-owned and operated distributor of hardware, software, cloud and emerging technologies has announced the opening of a new $74 million headquarters and distribution centre at Kurnell.
Dicker Data, which was listed on the Australian stock exchange in 2011, released its latest financial results on February 25 showing total revenue of $2 billion in the last financial year.
Construction of the new facility at 238 Captain Cook Drive, Kurnell, adjacent to the facility it occupied for the past 10 years, began in November 2019 and was completed last month.
It is almost 29,000 sqm, which includes 22,965sqm of warehouse space - an increase of almost 80 per cent on the previous building - and 4310sqm of office space.
There are also dedicated configuration and staging rooms that Dicker Data's resellers can hire, training rooms and collaboration zones for use by staff, vendors and partners, and space for showcasing vendor technologies.
Dicker Data was founded by its chairman and chief executive David Dicker in 1976 along with his former wife, Fiona.
Now based in New Zealand, he created the overall design for the new distribution centre.
The new building will allow the company to increase its capacity by almost 80 per cent.
The large-scale expansion will pave the way for substantial inventory growth and technology portfolio diversification to meet emerging and evolving needs of the Australian market.
The company currently employs 458 people, of which 350 will initially work at the new site.
The building itself took into account a range of environmental considerations and sustainability initiatives, including solar panels, the planting of 30,000 new plants and trees, and a bioretention basin that captures rainwater from the roof for use across the site, including sanitation and irrigation.
Safeguards are also in place to ensure no disturbance to the vegetation zone, and there are eight electric vehicle chargers for staff and visitors to use.
Staff working conditions have also been greatly improved and includes a large open plan cafe, a bushwalking track around the site to promote 'walking meetings', a mini golf course, and its own town hall with a gym and yoga centre to encourage health and well-being.
There is also a recycled air-conditioning system, acoustic ceilings and height-adjustable workstations.
During construction, a section of Captain Cook Drive was also resurfaced, and new footpaths and a new bus stop were installed at the company's cost.
A development application for an additional 20,000 sqm warehouse has been approved ready for future expansion.
During a phone interview from his home in New Zealand, Mr Dicker said that from the feedback he had received, everyone was happy with how the new building had turned out.
He said he had viewed photos of the new facility but was yet to see it in person.
"It's what I had in mind," he said.
"I have not been able to see it because I have been stuck in New Zealand for a year.
"As soon as they open the borders I will be on the next plane."