Franchising: Kiwi firm is world's biggest

By Graeme Kennedy

Friday 9th August 2002

The world's biggest franchised courier business, which started in Napier with just three vans almost 20 years ago, is expanding in New Zealand again after setting up operations in countries such as as Morocco, Malaysia, Scotland and Germany.

Fastway Couriers became the first transport company in the world to franchise in 1984, a year after Bill McGowan started his parcel delivery business in the Napier-Hastings area.

He franchised throughout New Zealand in the 1980s and moved into Australia with operations in Sydney and Brisbane in 1993 and expanded to 23 regional franchises by the late 1990s.

The Fastway brand is now familiar in nine countries throughout the UK, Europe and Asia and national master franchises were recently established in France and Spain while the company has signed a heads of agreement to set up in Canada, giving it more than 1000 franchises worldwide.

Fastway New Zealand chief executive Bruce Speers said more growth opportunities existed in this country, driven largely by increased market share and re-sales of established franchises.

Fastway aims to be in 35 countries within five years.

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