Matthew Unali has spent more than a decade finding better ways to move product. As Harders' newly appointed Manager of Supply Chain Solutions, he's bringing that experience to one of Australia's most established logistics businesses and to the drinks sector it knows well.
Matthew's interest in supply chain started early. Studying it as part of his Bachelor of Management at Deakin University, he found himself naturally drawn to the complexity of how products move and what needs to happen behind the scenes to make that work well. What kept him hooked was the problem-solving side. "There are always multiple ways to design a solution," he says, "whether that is around transport, warehousing, automation or broader network design."
His career has spanned both operational and consulting roles, including warehouse automation and operational design projects for one of Europe's largest beverage supply networks. That depth of industry-specific experience gives him a clear-eyed view of what drinks businesses actually need from a logistics partner.
And those needs are rarely straightforward. "Supply chain decisions are rarely isolated to just warehousing or freight," Matthew says. "It is often everything from inbound international movements, bonded storage requirements, inventory management and final delivery into retailers." Navigating that complexity, including the compliance and regulatory requirements that come with imported beverage products, is precisely where Harders has built its capability. With established expertise in bonded warehousing, customs brokerage and delivery into major retail networks, the business understands the specific demands of the drinks sector in a way that generalist logistics providers often don't.
In his new role, Matthew's immediate focus is on growing Harders' contract logistics capability, drawing on his background in supply chain design, warehouse automation and optimisation. What appeals to him about the business is its scope. Operating across both global logistics and contract logistics, Harders can look at a customer's supply chain in its entirety rather than solving one piece at a time. Critically, it does so with the flexibility and customer focus that larger, more standardised providers struggle to match, tailoring solutions around what works best for each business rather than fitting customers into an existing model.
That agility is increasingly important. Operational excellence is no longer a competitive advantage — it's the baseline. Better technology, better visibility and better systems have raised expectations across the board, and in beverages, where product availability and speed to market are non-negotiable, tolerance for inefficiency has effectively disappeared.
It's against that backdrop that Matthew sees real opportunity at Harders. He was drawn not just to the business's capability, but to its culture. "There is a genuine focus on service and building long-term partnerships rather than simply delivering a transactional logistics service," he says. What also stood out was something he describes as rare in businesses of this size – a family-business culture that hasn't shied away from investing in technology and capability. For an independent Australian business with more than 30 years of experience across freight forwarding, customs brokerage and contract logistics, that combination is the foundation. Matthew's appointment is part of building on it.
Harders is a Silver Partner of the Drinks Association.