Toll G&D’s defence logistics goes truly global

Over three decades, Toll Government & Defence has evolved from a specialist expeditionary logistics provider into a global defence support partner operating across the Indo-Pacific and beyond. In this Q&A, Jenine McCoach, Senior Vice-President, Growth Solutions, discusses its growth, major new Defence contracts, international expansion into the Philippines and EMEA, and the logistics capabilities underpinning modern military operations.

Jenine McCoach: It started 30 years ago as Toll Remote Logistics, and our business was primarily focused on defence expeditionary logistics. We supported the Australian Defence Forces in theatre to locations across Africa, Asia, as well as the Pacific in areas such as Timor Leste and the Solomon Islands. We built our expertise where the work would take us, and where our customers needed us, and built our reputation through cultivating robust relationships and delivering outstanding results within some complex environments and timelines.

Over the last 5 years we have grown significantly both through strategic acquisitions as well as being successful at some major competitive tenders – such as the recent Defence Theatre Logistics contract win with the Australian Defence Force. These wins have enabled us to reinvest into our business, to then secure and solidify the expertise and resources that reinforce the resilience we’ve developed over the last 25 years as a Prime Contractor for Defence. It has also given us confidence and profile to expand our services into new markets. We’ve undertaken detailed analysis of overseas markets as part of a broader global expansion with the objective being to identify customer bases that aligned closely with our existing defence capabilities.

The UK, for example, has emerged as a clear priority, with several major defence tenders approaching that closely mirrored the capability requirements we already support for the ADF, and the Singapore Armed Forces. Regionally, the Middle East and Africa present further growth potential. We also see opportunities to apply capabilities such as maritime and ship husbandry services. There is no shortage of opportunities, which is exciting.

Jenine McCoach: ​​​​​​​We strategically selected the Subic Bay Freeport Zone for our new office to leverage the site's strategic, multimodal logistics capabilities within the Luzon Economic Corridor. This location is a well-positioned logistics hub that provides convenient access to both international seaport and airport infrastructure, supporting logistic opportunities across air, sea and land. It also strengthens regional maritime situational awareness and provides a local base for managing compliant, comprehensive theatre logistics for customers across the Indo-Pacific.

We see significant opportunities to enhance our capacity to assist allies operating in the region, leveraging local expertise and an understanding of in‑country processes to support theatre logistics.

Our expansion into the Philippines, which is seen as a crucial location for maritime situational awareness in the region, will create opportunities for servicing of military and military related activities in the entire country under the guidance of the Enhance Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites and beyond.

Jenine McCoach: ​​​​​​​The Defence Theatre Logistics contract – or DTL for short – is a cornerstone of Defence’s logistics transformation, delivering warehousing, distribution, and support services across Australia’s vast and complex Defence Logistics Network.

The ADF required a single, agile logistics partner to consolidate and modernise national logistics support. Our proposal featured a nationally integrated logistics model using a hub-and-spoke network for comprehensive coverage supported by subcontractors for urgent deliveries. What we provided was a customer led solution built from bottom up. It was data driven, and very much a bespoke and tailored response. Then during a tight and pressurised negotiation phase, our data driven solution was tested and validated.

Our teams now operate all Joint Logistics command warehouses across Australia, connect bases and warehouses through national road and rail networks, support ADF operations with equipment, supplies, and services, and work across 280+ facilities and across 52 sites or locations nationwide. Our G&D team has effectively doubled in size as a result of this new contract.

At the end of the day, as a prime contractor we are there to serve Defence and make this easier for them so they can focus on their mission; to defend Australia and its national interests. This contract looks to support this mission and we couldn't be prouder or more enthusiastic to get deeper into the contract.

Jenine McCoach: Toll Government & Defence is expanding into EMEA by utilising its established expertise in theatre logistics and maritime services, initially prioritising the UK market. Future development will leverage a strong UK foundation to expand into broader European, Middle Eastern, and African markets, with a strategic emphasis on improving NATO interoperability and diversifying services for international naval forces.

If we look at all the logistics required to support a defence operation anywhere, we've either done it or we’re doing it today – there's nothing that defence can throw at us that we don't know how to do.     

We run airports and ports, provide maritime support services to large fleets, and have particular expertise in fuel. There is literally nothing in the logistics supply chain needs of a Defence focused agency that we can't do and can't deliver.

That's what Toll Government & Defence bring to the table – and that’s why we can be relied upon. Anywhere. Anytime.

Learn more about how Toll's customised and integrated logistics solutions are helping to prepare for the next decade of defence readiness.