Woolworth's Buy Austral Refrigeration

[jobeobrien]

Today Woolworth's has purchased Austral Refrigeration and is to be known as Retail FM (Facilities Management) What I think is a sad day for the industry to have a company who already dictates terms take over a service provider!

[HVACRsaurus]

Interesting, thanks for posting.

[lawrence1]

How unusual is that,,,,sounds like a Coles City clone.
Keeping up with the Jones's i would say.

[Tesla]

Keeping up with the duopoly and who knows they may even clone their own workers in 10 years time. My wife says if they could get away with it they would. I make my stand and have only bought 5 wollies or coles branded products in more than 10 years - even if it costs me double.

[Magoo]

The whole thing sounds like the thin end of the wedge of forcing all service providers out. Next component suppliers being forced into a corner and massive discounting on the basis of being a large national single account.

[Actinide]

Woolworths isnt due to take over Austral until 23rd December. Its going to be an interesting scenario for some of the other companies that are already contracted to Woolworths. Coles aren't going to like the idea of Austral doing installs and refurbs when owned by Woolworths...

[Magoo]

It would be a hoot if all Austral staff resigned on the 23rd.

[Fridgy Dave]

Who didn't see this coming

[fridg]

Today Woolworth's has purchased Austral Refrigeration and is to be known as Retail FM (Facilities Management) What I think is a sad day for the industry to have a company who already dictates terms take over a service provider!

Who didn't see this coming , monkey see monkey do.
This will keep all pm's in house and hopefully standardise
all PR's to the same level , well done woolies , this will
save you some peanuts.

[r.bartlett]

This has been done in the UK and the comparison between in house and contractors is interesting. In response times and initial cost the contractor wins but in all other aspects it appears inhouse techs are better for the supermarkets.

[cool_tech]

I have done a lot of work for woolies in the past. there equipment was badly maintained because of the time limit the set by them . would keep moving the goal posts and make it hard to get paid. the hourly rate is low, set rates for sub contractors a max of $75 (approx an hour). dont want to listen o you when you tell them they are wasting energy and money on their system. i bet they brought up big on carbon tax friendly R404a

[fridg]

I have done a lot of work for woolies in the past. there equipment was badly maintained because of the time limit the set by them . would keep moving the goal posts and make it hard to get paid. the hourly rate is low, set rates for sub contractors a max of $75 (approx an hour). dont want to listen o you when you tell them they are wasting energy and money on their system. i bet they brought up big on carbon tax friendly R404a


Our local city fm (coles) guy gets a dozen stores in his zone
& 120k salary , on call 1 week a month.

As far as 404 , woolies stock piled millions of dollars
of it before the carbon levy , they now supply
their own gas to PR's

[Magoo]

Hi fridg.
any knowledge on the refrigerant supplier that sold direct to end user. Could make for interesting reading.

[HVACRSA]

we are currently do work at woolworths stores and from my limited knowledge on their equipment I can see that they are not very well maintained. It can also be a PITA dealing with all there procedures.

[RBM]

When I started my apprenticeship Coles had there own service dept. They eventually scrapped it because it became to inefficient...

[fridg]

Hi fridg.
any knowledge on the refrigerant supplier that sold direct to end user. Could make for interesting reading.


Not sure on supplier , but have heard from a few reliable sources
that it was a substantial amount. Think it may still be stocked at the supply houses , ready for pick up when needed.

[Tesla]

The refrigerant in Sydney is stored out west under armed guard. When I was an apprentice I learnt the trade through wollies (80%) through a contractor. There wouldn't normally be a problem with them having their own techs except the fact they want the whole world - booze petrol hardware etc. Like coles too I want a choice where to spend my hard earned cash. I don't mind spending at the supermarket but I don't want them to control the whole distribution chain then dictate to the suppliers how much and what and when. It peeeves me off when one of their brands are nearly half the price of a non brand. So thanks wollies for the training I got on your stores and up you for trying to take over the world. Where will these greedy people get off.

[mikeref]

G'day Tesla. A local supplier of fresh produce to the above mentioned supermarket recently lost his contract. The supermarket dictated price didn't cover his costs so two large farms closed and 40 odd people lost their jobs. Where does the fresh produce come from now? Too far away to make economic sense.:off topic:

[Magoo]

Hi Mikeref.
unfortunately the supermarket barons have their suppliers over a barrel, and then turn the blade after they stab them in the back.
Similar situation over here, when an asparagus grower supplied ready for the shelf product to central distrib centre 500 km away, the shipped back to his local super market 2 kms from his home, and was 3 times the price and a 1000 kms later. where is the sense in that.

[mikeref]

Just a small list of North Queensland produce, as this specific area is based on agriculture.
Corn, potato, mango, lychee, pumpkin, sugar, Garlic, orange, avocado, manderine, strawberries, grapes etc.
We have a struggling milk factory, several sugar mills, Peanut processing factory, Tea plantation and factory, meat processing plant for the nearby cattle stations, egg farms and even several Flower farms.
So where do these supermarkets obtain their stocks from that are displayed on this towns shelves?

Eggs from New south Wales, 1900 KMS by road.
Beef and Pork from Brisbane, 1700 KMS,
Potatoes from Brisbane markets, 1700 KMS.
Milk and cheese from Victoria:rolleyes: 3000+KMS... and now Refrigeration mechanics out of Brisbane.
Not a single item (that comes to mind) is purchased locally any more by these companies.
And now...take a breath.