National reinforcement steel processor, Bestbar Reinforcements, will introduce an Australian first in advanced manufacturing technology as part of the construction of their new South Australian headquarters.

Bestbar’s national executive general manager, Gavin Futcher said the plant will be a transformative addition for the company and the industry as a whole.
"The South Australian market presents ample opportunities and growth, which is why we're introducing a facility that will be the first of its kind in the world."

“Designed and Manufactured in Italy, the machinery will enable the autonomous fabrication, handling and loading of steel products by integrating new software with specialised robotics.,” he said.

“Reducing the need for overhead cranes and manual handling, this innovative technology will significantly increase both efficiency and safety within the plant.

“Once fabricated, the steel will be packaged and loaded autonomously onto delivery trucks, ready for delivery direct to the customer’s construction site.”
An impressive 90% of the raw materials for fabricating the reinforcement steel will be proudly sourced from local Infrabuild mills, including Whyalla Steelworks.

"We remain committed to supporting the Australian steel mills, Infrabuild, expanding our capacity to serve South Australia's infrastructure projects more efficiently. 
“Our goal is to maintain our existing facilities, ensuring cost-effective production, and providing long-term confidence to the building and construction sectors in South Australia."

Testimony to South Australia’s attractiveness to interstate investors, the development is the result of a $30m investment by National property development company Realside Ovest.

Realside Ovest’s CEO, Julie Drago said the company views South Australia as a key state for investment and see this project as a valuable part of our national portfolio of high-quality industrial properties. From an investment perspective, Realside has been impressed by recent SA Government’s commitment to future looking industries, including defence and aerospace, cybersecurity and its investment in renewables including battery storage and more recently in hydrogen.  A stamp duty free environment is an additional incentive to invest relative to other jurisdictions.   

“Realside are already heavily invested in the South Australian commercial market. Realside Property has an existing presence in Adelaide via their joint ownership of five office assets, bringing Realside’s total investment into the state close to $200m.

“The Salisbury South site will be our second industrial asset in South Australia, but excitingly our first development in the state. In addition to the 7,800sqm facility pre-commitment by Best Bar, the Ovest Business Park Salisbury South will comprise a further 12,000sqm of current generation logistics facilities available for lease.  The sites strategic location to the highly skilled workforce in the northern corridor and its proximity to key road networks contribute to Realside’s excitement for this project.”

“Adelaide has shown its resilience, particularly through downturn events such as the pandemic, with the market experiencing less disruption compared to larger Australian cities,” she said.

“It’s also testament to our successful multistate partnership with Bestbar demonstrating our ability to provide high quality industrial facilities.

“We will bring 60 years of combined industrial property development experience to this project and partner with Adelaide’s Sagle Constructions to deliver a purpose-built facility.”

The project will sustain almost 400 local jobs during its 12-month construction phase spanning the full spectrum of the construction supply chain.

This will include everything from specialist engineers and architects, to local manufacturers of structural steel and precast concrete wall panels, to countless trades including electricians, plumbers and painters.

Adelaide commercial and industrial builder, Sagle Constructions will undertake the construction of the purpose-built facility in Adelaide’s north, due to be operational by early next year.

Sagle’s managing director, Daniel Lees said they are working closely with property owners Realside Ovest, to deliver on the exacting design and construction requirements for the new flagship building.

“We are thrilled to be extending our network of national developers investing in South Australia and choosing our design and construct team to deliver results,” he said.

“This is our first partnership with Realside Ovest and we look forward to successfully delivering their first development in South Australia.

“Sagle has been proudly delivering outstanding results in the commercial and industrial market for almost twenty-five years, and our point of difference continues to be our focus on building trust and connections, beyond the delivery of a project.

“The flow on for our customers extends beyond a quality build – it provides high levels of satisfaction to future tenants – extending the sense of ease we offer clients during the project and beyond.”

Realside Property (Realside) is a specialist investment fund manager who provides sophisticated investors access to unlisted commercial property investment opportunities. The CEO of Realside Property is Linda Rudd.

Realside Property has an existing presence in Adelaide via their joint ownership of five office assets and three Industrial assets with a combined portfolio value of $200m.

We are proud to partner with Sagle Constructions, our preferred builder in South Australia, to bring our first development in the state to fruition. The development represents a major step forward for Bestbar Reinforcements, a national reinforcement steel processor and is a testament to our commitment to delivering high-quality projects in the region. What makes this project so special, is the use of machinery designed and manufactured in Italy to enable the autonomous fabrication, handling and loading of steel products by integrating new software with specialised robotics. It is the first of its kind.

The site was introduced to Realside Property by Knight Frank Australia’s David Ludlow. 

L to R: Daniel Sagle – Sagle Constructions (Managing Director), Peter Malinauskas – (Premier of SA), Gavin Futcher – Bestbar Reinforcement (Executive General Manager), Julie Drago – Realside Ovest (CEO)