Delivering Results

Mark Little

Aramex New Zealand CEO says growing demand means more opportunities all round the country

Taking over as CEO of Aramex New Zealand in the aftermath of a global pandemic was never going to be easy, but Mark Little is up to the challenge. Not only has he been with the company in various roles for over nine years, but prior to that he was a major customer of Fastway Couriers Auckland – which joined the global Aramex brand in 2016.

‘I had my own company importing and exporting sporting goods, and we did a lot of business with Fastway Couriers,’ Mark recalls. ‘When I sold the business, I was asked to join the team in Auckland. I think that my experiences as a customer helped me view things differently. I was always wanting to find the best solutions for the whole business – franchisees and customers alike.’

Mark’s approach paid off as the growth of online retailing evolved the company’s focus from business-to-business services to business-tocustomer. ‘We developed streamlined systems to suit the changing market, and we are respected around the world as a reliable and trusted freight and logistics partner by some very big brand names.

‘Even before Covid we were working with companies like Amazon and the Briscoes Group, and lockdowns only accelerated that. Without our franchisees, New Zealand simply wouldn’t have been able to manage the pandemic as it did.’

Coping with chaos

Mark explains, ‘When lockdown hit, everyone wanted to operate as an online business overnight. That created massive growth for us – and massive problems. We needed more people and bigger facilities, and were suddenly running our main depots 24 hours a day. It put a lot of pressure on all our franchisees, who responded magnificently, but we had to find ways to cope.

‘One of the solutions was our Blu Couriers app, which took pressure off through crowdsourcing to handle deliveries in specific suburbs or streets. We’re a technically advanced company so we were able to use this to help couriers with volume as required while they focused on the outbound business. It was still exhausting for a while, especially in Auckland, which had around 130 days of lockdowns including Black Friday – the biggest shopping day of the year!

‘But it paid off – the whole system can now cope with higher levels of business, and most of our courier franchisees say they don’t feel over-busy even though the numbers show they are handling more work than ever. That means higher earning potential, too.

‘And the growth is continuing. We are able to handle more freight than ever, while the economic slowdown hasn’t really impacted delivery volumes. People might buy things in ones or twos rather than six at a time, but they still need delivering – just more often.’

Local business, global reach

It’s almost 40 years since Fastway Couriers started operating in Hawkes Bay, where the company is still based – now as part of Aramex, one of the largest courier and logistics companies in the world. How has the change affected the franchise?

‘In some ways, not a lot,’ says Mark. ‘We are left to run our franchise model as we always have, which retains the family feel with our Regional Franchisees, who operate the depots in their respective regions, and the Courier Franchisees who do the actual pick-ups and deliveries.

‘But having the involvement of a larger company has meant we have been able to invest in areas that will grow our franchisees’ businesses, especially international inbound. Our new bonded facility at Penrose means we can sort inbound and outbound freight very quickly and ship parcels around the world like never before. With the Aramex franchise in Australia, too, it’s especially seamless for trans-Tasman business.

‘We’ve been able to improve forward planning with Regional Franchisees, identifying expected peaks and troughs so they are always prepared and supported. And we are also investing in the Parcel Connect network, offering drop-off points for the more casual customer, which will make life easier for our Courier Franchisees.

‘And the benefits haven’t been all one way. Aramex has adopted Blu Couriers in other countries, and they are keenly interested in taking up our franchise model, too. It all adds up to more opportunities.’

Courier and Regional opportunities

The continuing growth of Aramex means that the company is constantly looking for new franchisees at the Courier level. The investment required depends largely on the territory, with opportunities available to suit most budgets. An ideal entry-level opportunity is available through the new Courier Lite model, which enables you to get a feel for the business. ‘It’s ideal for people who want to get out and about, earn well, and enjoy being busy,’ says Mark.

There are also occasional opportunities available to take over existing Regional Franchises, which require significant management and logistics experience. ‘It’s not a role for the fainthearted, but if you have the skills and the desire to own a significant business with the backing of a forward-thinking international brand, Aramex has a lot to offer,’ Mark says.

‘All this growth means opportunities throughout the country. Contact us today to find out more.’

Advertiser Info

Aramex

www.aramex.co.nz/franchising

Contact P 0-6-833 6333 P 0508 NZ Aramex

recruitment@aramex.co.nz