Mainfreight Case Study
Mainfreight Group – Mighty Oaks from little acorns grow
A case study of a New Zealand Multinational’s Foreign Market Entry Strategy
Mainfreight – Mighty Oaks from little acorns grow.
This case study examines the strategies Mainfreight Limited has exploited when entering foreign markets. It examines Mainfreight’s successes and failures and investigates whether its market entry strategies played a significant part in these experiences.
The Mainfreight Group market themselves as a global logistics provider offering “managed warehousing and international and domestic freight forwarding” (Mainfreight, 2013). As of 2013 Mainfreight Limited is operating in over 14 countries in four continents.
Originally a domestic freight provider, the company now specializes in providing a large variety of services common to global logistics providers such as domestic haulage of both full and part loads, International Air services, International Sea Container services, Contract Warehousing and Supply Chain Management as well as other service offerings not commonly associated with global logistics providers including “Fashion Services, Canadian Transborder Logistics Services and Entertainment Media Logistics”(Linkedin, 2013). Mainfreight generally focuses on target areas they identify they can add more value to than “simple cartage” (Massey University, 2009)
Mainfreight attribute their success to their unique culture, stating on their website that they “have developed a style of doing business, successful not only in New Zealand, but around the world”.
Whilst this is a bold statement, Mainfreight has had some great accomplishments. Their success hasn’t been an accident and this mighty oak was once a little acorn. Since its inception in 1978, Mainfreight has grown significantly and is often cited as one of New Zealand’s most successful companies (Otago
A case study of a New Zealand Multinational’s Foreign Market Entry Strategy
Mainfreight – Mighty Oaks from little acorns grow.
This case study examines the strategies Mainfreight Limited has exploited when entering foreign markets. It examines Mainfreight’s successes and failures and investigates whether its market entry strategies played a significant part in these experiences.
The Mainfreight Group market themselves as a global logistics provider offering “managed warehousing and international and domestic freight forwarding” (Mainfreight, 2013). As of 2013 Mainfreight Limited is operating in over 14 countries in four continents.
Originally a domestic freight provider, the company now specializes in providing a large variety of services common to global logistics providers such as domestic haulage of both full and part loads, International Air services, International Sea Container services, Contract Warehousing and Supply Chain Management as well as other service offerings not commonly associated with global logistics providers including “Fashion Services, Canadian Transborder Logistics Services and Entertainment Media Logistics”(Linkedin, 2013). Mainfreight generally focuses on target areas they identify they can add more value to than “simple cartage” (Massey University, 2009)
Mainfreight attribute their success to their unique culture, stating on their website that they “have developed a style of doing business, successful not only in New Zealand, but around the world”.
Whilst this is a bold statement, Mainfreight has had some great accomplishments. Their success hasn’t been an accident and this mighty oak was once a little acorn. Since its inception in 1978, Mainfreight has grown significantly and is often cited as one of New Zealand’s most successful companies (Otago
References: Collinson, S. and Rugman, A. (2007). The regional character of Asian multinational enterprises. APJM, Ch. 24. Pp. 429-446. C.W. Downer & Co. (2007, September 18). Target Logistics, Inc., Agrees to be acquired by Mainfreight Limited. Retrieved from http://www.cwdowner.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=72&Itemid=31 Deloitte Fairfax NZ News. (2008, November 26). Mainfreight 's Plested wins Beacon Award. Retrieved from http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/735585 Kennedy, Graeme Linkedin. (2013, February 28). Mainfreight. Retrieved from http://www.linkedin.com/company/mainfreight?trk=top_nav_home Mainfreight Limited Mainfreight Limited. (1997, July 2). Annual Report 1997. Retrieved from http://epublishbyus.com/DDM_Production/10005148# Mainfreight Limited Mainfreight Limited. (2002, June 28). Annual Report 2002. Auckland, New Zealand. Mainfreight Limited. (2009, June 29). Annual Report 2009. Auckland, New Zealand. Mainfreight Limited. (2011, March 7). Mainfreight Announces Agreement to Purchase Wim Bosman Group. Retrieved from http://www.mainfreight.com/Files/Downloads/Mainfreight%20to%20Purchase%20Wim%20Bosman%20Group.pdf Mainfreight Limited Mainfreight Limited. (2013). About us. Retrieved from http://www.mainfreight.com/global/en/global-home/about-us.aspx Massey University New Zealand Management magazine. (2007, December). Colliers International Best Growth Strategy: Mainfreight – Boldly stepping beyond. pp. 59. New Zealand Management magazine. (2012, December). Ilume Best Growth Strategy: Mainfreight – Strategy with Insight. pp. 40-41. NZX. (2013). Mainfreight Limited. Retrieved from https://www.nzx.com/companies/MFT Otago Business School (n.d.) Mainfreight - More than just a freight company Peng, M. (2014). Global Strategy. 3rd Edition. South Western, Cengage Learning. Mason, Ohio Statistics New Zealand