Six Australian regional express firms bought last year by DHL Express and New Zealand Post in anA$140 million (€85 million) joint investment have now merged into a single business under the
ParcelDirect Group name to take on market leaders Toll Group, TNT Express and Australia Post.ParcelDirect Group, specialising in intrastate and interstate road express freight servicesand nationwide small parcel courier services, benefits from the local expertise of the six heritagebusinesses: Parcel Overnight Direct, Hills Transport, Northern Kope Parcel Express, VicfastCouriers, PEP Transport and Couriers Please.
Over the past twelve months these six businesses have been consolidated into an extensivenational network of 800 vehicles and 1,500 employees, contractors and drivers located across 56branches, positioning the group as a leading market player, ParcelDirect announced. The company hastwo core businesses: Couriers Please, which handles some eight million parcels a year, remains astand-alone business specialising in small parcel deliveries across the country while the otherfive companies will focus on heavier parcel and pallet distribution.
“Our arrival to the market provides an exciting new nationwide alternative for customersrequiring express distribution services,” declared Harlis Malkic, CEO, ParcelDirect Group.“Individually the acquired businesses offer a uniquely personalised service in their state oforigin and this is only enhanced in the new business structure. We’ve gained significantunderstanding and local knowledge from these businesses and want to ensure the local serviceenjoyed by customers is maintained throughout the national network.”
With a focus on market leading technology, the new group has already become a leader in endto end Supply Chain visibility by rolling out in excess of 1200 ‘sign on screen’ scanners to thenetwork.
The next phase in uniting the group will involve a re-brand to refresh the currentCouriersPlease branding and the addition of the ParcelDirect brand name to each of the Statebusinesses. Progressively all of the ParcelDirect Group will introduce a red and yellow theme tovehicles and contractor uniforms. “For our customers we have retained the business brand that theyare used to, and the addition of the new joint name of ParcelDirect acknowledges the businesses arepart of a new larger family,” Malkic explained.
New Zealand Post and DHL Express, which already cooperate successfully in the New Zealandexpress market, bought the companies last year through a joint venture company, Express CouriersAustralia (ECA). The six businesses had combined annual revenues of more than A$200 million (€121million).
In 2005, DHL Express and New Zealand Post formed a joint venture, Express Couriers Ltd, forthe domestic New Zealand market, incorporating the postal company’s express and logisticsbusinesses, supported by DHL’s international network. In 2007, it acquired road transport companyRoadstar Transport.
