Mainfreight is not constrained by the borders of one country, says Don Braid. Photo / Martin Sykes

Mainfreight is not constrained by the borders of one country, says Don Braid. Photo / Martin Sykes

The foyer of Mainfreight's new $30 million head office and warehouse is immaculate. It is several metres high, with floor-to-ceiling windows at one end and company philosophies - such as "the man on top of the mountain didn't fall there" - written in bold silver text around the walls.

One of the company's first vehicles, a restored Bedford truck, sits proudly off to one side.

The foyer is so stylish, well lit, and spacious that it resembles an art gallery, slightly at odds with the trucks roaring in and out of the gates outside.

But managing director Don Braid isn't so sure: "An art gallery? Huh, I don't know about that."

Braid - who isn't keen on having his opinions or personal history in the public domain - has to be gently persuaded to be interviewed. More than once he instructs: "Don't you write this article about me."

He is possibly the most self-effacing leader of a major listed company in New Zealand, but you can tell why he would make a good leader. He is tough, a straight-talker, and incredibly dedicated to Mainfreight.

"I don't see it as a job, to be honest, it's a lifestyle, it's what we passionately believe in. We have Mainfreight in our hearts and we love what we do."

And while he is every bit the smooth corporate player, it is not too much of a stretch to imagine him behind the wheel of one of the company's blue trucks.

Braid has always been in transport, joining Freightways in 1978 and shifting to Mainfreight in 1994. He has been managing director since 2000.

Mainfreight, which listed in 1996, has been the top performer on the NZX-50 in the past two years. It delivered a return of about 140 per cent in 2006 on the back of some pretty impressive global expansion. In 2005 it returned 64 per cent.

Braid does not attribute the company's success to his leadership but to the culture and beliefs fostered by founders Bruce Plested and Neil Graham.

Plested is the chairman of the company's board. He started Mainfreight in 1978, and is one of New Zealand's great entrepreneurs.

Mainfreight's philosophy is simple, and logical: build a strong team culture, promote from within, reward good work. But the difference is that this company appears to adhere to it, and is backed up by the board.

"What we have today is based around the culture and beliefs those founders have. We have been able to build on that and create some success out of that," says Braid. "It's all to do with how the business envelops its people to deliver a good quality service - that is the key."