EASTERN states refrigerated transport and coldstore icon the Don Watson Group suddenly announced its closure on Thursday, after 77 years of operations.

The company transports large amounts of chilled and frozen beef, chicken and perishables, and will make final collections on June 9 before last deliveries in the following days. The company did business with a number of large export red meat processors in Queensland, NSW and Victoria.

The company’s coldstores division will be offered for sale “with a focus on securing optimal value as a going concern,” according to third-generation co-owner and managing director Lyndon Watson.

Don Watson Group’s 140 trucks and 170 refrigerated trailer trucks – would be sold in an “orderly fashion,” he said.

The company claims its transport operations cover more than 22 million km a year, mostly as refrigerated line haul.

In an memo sent to employees, Lyndon Watson said: “Due to current economic conditions, the Don Watson Group of companies has made a definite decision to leave the warehousing and road transport industries. We understand this may come as a shock, but we have formed the view that it is simply no longer possible to continue to operate.

All employees would receive all of their entitlements in full in accordance with the terms of relevant legislation and enterprise agreements, the statement said.

The company has 300 employees and depots in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Wodonga, as well as coldstore facilities in Melbourne, Wodonga and Sydney.

The storage division comprises high-bay freezer and chiller warehouses certified for import/export and halal storage for numerous international markets, as well as blast-freezing services.

Founded in 1948 by G.H. ‘Don’ Watson driving army-surplus K Series Austins, the company began ferrying livestock between the markets of Melbourne, Ballarat and Dandenong in Victoria.

The founder’s son, Donald, was appointed managing director in 1973, and, upon his death in the 1994 Bathurst 1000 touring car race, his wife Noelene took the reins. She oversaw a redevelopment of the company’s business strategy, operational structure and grew the business into new and emerging markets.

In 2021 Don Watson Transport was recognised as Australia’s Large Carrier of the Year for its work with Woolworths Group nationwide.

See beef Central’s recent Top 25 Livestock Transporters feature