"In the fourth quarter there was a reduction in growth compared to the first three quarters," he said. "We were still growing but not at the same rate and that's no surprise given the macro economic [environment]."
He wouldn't be drawn on what rate of growth he expected this financial year, although he said an October trading update should give an early indication. Some 72 per cent of earnings come from express packages and business mail and 28 per cent from information management.
Its DX Mail operations grew market share and increased its delivery fleet after New Zealand Post's move to reduce daily mail deliveries to three days a week. The DX Mail growth came from customers who still need overnight delivery for their standard-priced letters, in particular the district health boards, Bracewell said.
Freightways added some 250 staff in the past year to deal with growth, taking total staff numbers to 3500.
The transition to a new fleet of leased Boeing 737-400 aircraft from the existing Convair aircraft fleet is expected to provide increased capacity and faster sector speeds from early next year, and annual capital expenditure savings from the 2017 financial year.
The new aircraft can carry payload of around 17 tonnes compared with 6.5 tonnes for the existing planes, four of which are now up for sale.
The company's information management services unit, which operates in New Zealand and Australia providing document storage, document destruction and data storage, lifted operating revenue 18 per cent to $122 million. Ebitda increased 18 per cent to $29 million, on the back of earnings growth on both sides of the Tasman.
LitSupport, the Australian information management business acquired in December, is not yet trading to expectation with the renegotiation of two major customer contracts at lower rates and an investment in additional sales capacity that is still to deliver results.
Bracewell said the former owners, who are under an earnout agreement, are likely to have to write a cheque of up to $5 million back to Freightways, though they do have the opportunity to reverse that before the earnout expires in 2017.
Due to the disruptive threat of alternative storage technologies, Freightways has started providing digital information management services. While that has had good take-up from new and existing customers, demand is also continuing to grow for physical storage services in New Zealand and Australia.
"Digitisation opens a new area for us and a new competitive environment. But it is easier to compete online and opens up a broader range of competitors," Bracewell said.
While the opportunities are larger for information management in Australia, margins are higher in the more-established New Zealand operation.
The company is looking for more acquisitions and further alliances on both sides of the Tasman this financial year and capital expenditure is expected to rise to $20 million from $14 million this year.
Bracewell indicated the company is also looking at new geographic locations for all parts of the business, including the courier side which until now has remained firmly planted in New Zealand.
"We've looked at southeast Asia and looked at the United States but not found the right one yet," he said.
Freightways shares closed up/up 1.8 per cent yesterday at $5.65.1.8 per cent to $5.65.
Freightways
• Year ended June 30
• $43.3 million profit, up from $41.7 million.
• $749.5 million operating revenue, up 11%.
• 12.5c final dividend, up from 11.25c.
