Media Release
8 October 2009
Delivering The Goods – Courierpost Marks 20 Years
New Zealand’s largest courier network CourierPost celebrates 20 years of business this Friday 9 October, having grown
from a small new entrant to now hold more than 46% market share.
Established by New Zealand Post, CourierPost was set up on the back of the Post Parcels branches in 1989, with a fleet
of just 170 couriers. Courier numbers have increased more than 400% to 700 working from 23 branches across the country,
with an overall workforce of more than 1,500 staff.
Around 400 of those staff will gather at the company’s state-of-the-art Auckland Operations Centre (AOC) in east
Auckland and at 23 branches nationwide on Friday to mark the occasion. The event will also see CourierPost presented
with a Green Star award from the New Zealand Green Building Council. This award recognises the AOC’s environmentally
sustainable design – it is the first industrial building in Australasia to receive this certification.
Mark Gibson, CEO of Express Couriers (CourierPost’s parent company), says the $50 million investment in the Green
Star-rated Auckland Operations Centre in East Tamaki, which officially opened in April 2009, is a major milestone in the
company’s history.
Other landmark initiatives pioneered by the company include the introduction of Track & Trace technology in 1991 and owner/driver couriers in 1992, both of which have since become industry standards.
The world-class Auckland Operations Centre, which launched earlier this year, includes ground-breaking technology,
largely developed in New Zealand, which has helped streamline parcel-sorting, delivery times and business efficiency.
Mark Gibson says, “The automated parcel-sorting system, for instance, has helped increase capacity by 600%. This new
facility is already influencing the direction of the New Zealand courier industry and with a focus on continued
development, will future-proof our organisation for years to come.”
He says much of the software developed around the facility has been purpose-built. “It wasn’t a case of simply adapting
tried and tested material; New Zealand is a geographically unique and highly competitive market with its own set of
specific requirements, so more than a little Kiwi ingenuity went into the development process. We now have world-leading
and industry-leading technology, built right here in New Zealand, that we can be proud of.”
The Auckland Operations Centre will continue to increase productivity and make the business even more competitive over
time. More than 70% of CourierPost’s total freight is now processed at the centre.
Mark Gibson says the business is in good health, despite a challenging 2009. “We are already planning the next steps to
keep up with developments in business requirements that will benefit our operation and customers.
“Something we’re very proud of is the fact that among those sharing our 20th anniversary milestone are more than 140
clients who have been with us since we launched in 1989. We see this as testament to our continued commitment to
customer service.”
ENDS