By James Wells in Melbourne

MELBOURNE: The local subsidiary of Chinese television manufacturer, Changhong Electric, has appointed third party logistics company and consumer electronics specialist, QLS, to manage its warehousing as part of a company relocation which will commence next week.

According to Changhong Electric operations manager, Garry Brown, the business will move on Monday 8 May from its 3,000 square metre Duerdin Street premises in Clayton to a new 900 square metre facility at Mount Waverley. The smaller premises will provide cost savings for Changhong as QLS will manage the brand’s logistics and warehousing.

Changhong is the largest television manufacturer in China and the third largest manufacturer in the world behind Samsung and TCL-Thomson.

According to Brown, by relocating warehousing off site, it provides the business with the opportunity for more professional service.

“QLS provides logistics for all of the major brands and this provides us with a cost advantage. For example if Harvey Norman orders our products as well as some Toshiba products, they can be packaged along with any others on a pallet,” he said.

QLS operates 35 trucks nationally from 34,000 square metres of secure storage and warehousing space.

The company recently advised appliance manufacturers to rethink the method it moves freight around Australia.

“Too much freight in the industry is travelling north from Sydney and Melbourne when the most economical route is south from Brisbane. The current mix of freight on the eastern seaboard means freight utilisation is at capacity up the coast and nowhere near capacity down the coast,” said QLS co-owner and director, Sandy McGregor.

“The smart move is to do the opposite to everyone else, which makes our warehouse based in Brisbane 10 minutes from the wharf an extremely strategic location,” McGregor said.