NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Business / Companies / Freight and logistics

Mainfreight's Don Braid says Russian operations had to close

Audrey Young
By Audrey Young
Senior Political Correspondent·NZ Herald·
4 May, 2022 05:00 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Don Braid says the Romanian office helped the Ukrainian staff and their relatives and pets to get out. Photo / Supplied

Don Braid says the Romanian office helped the Ukrainian staff and their relatives and pets to get out. Photo / Supplied

Mainfreight's staff and business in Russia, Ukraine and Europe have been impacted by the war, managing director Don Braid says.

The company has a small office in Kyiv which is now down to two staff from the dozen or so in 2020 as people have left the country or gone to war.

And Braid said the company's staff in Romania helped Ukrainians to get out after Russia invaded Ukraine.

"Our people in Romania did marvellous things, helping not only those who work for us that needed to leave but also to rescue relatives and/or pets," he told the Herald.

"Sad but we have been to assist them where possible.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"The Ukraine people that worked for us that wanted to leave Ukraine, we have been able to assist to get over the border and where possible, we've either found them housing and/or jobs with us in varying other countries that we have in Europe like Romania, Poland and the Netherlands."

Don Braid says 26 loyal Mainfreight staff in Russia had to be made redundant.
Don Braid says 26 loyal Mainfreight staff in Russia had to be made redundant.

Braid said Mainfreight's operations in Moscow and St Petersburg have had to close.
That meant redundancy for 26 loyal people and having to wear the additional cost to close the business down.

He said the New Zealand sanctions had not required the business to shut down in Russia but it was the right thing to do.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"The business that we had in Russia operated mostly for trade from the rest of our network outside of New Zealand and Australia but it is very difficult to access when you have no access to banking facilities and the likes. It became the right thing to do."

The third impact of the war was a driver shortage across Europe because many freight drivers were Ukrainian and many had returned to Ukraine to defend their country against Russia.

"As a consequence of all of that you've got air freight delays, you've got energy cost increases, you've got a shortage of manufactured goods, particularly automotive products that come out of the Ukraine."

Don Braid says he is positive about what lies ahead in Europe. Photo / Supplied
Don Braid says he is positive about what lies ahead in Europe. Photo / Supplied

Mainfreight operates in 10 countries in Europe: UK, the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain, Romania, Poland and Ukraine and the supply chain had been disrupted.

"We have had to work closely with our customers to ensure that we still have capacity to help where driver shortages are limiting that capacity but as typical with Mainfreight people, they have got on and done the job and we still remain in a good position and are still positive about what is in front of us in Europe," he said.

But he was disappointed that Air New Zealand had not restored its service to London.

Earlier this week, Braid, when speaking at the US Business Summit organised by the Auckland Business Chamber and NZINC, identified a positive from the past few years.

"What I think is a good thing … is that cargo has finally made it to the board room," he said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Cargo kept Air NZ moving and has probably kept a lot of other airlines moving too. Now it is seen as a really, really important part of the global growth strategy."

Research he had seen suggested normal passenger levels would be back to 2019 levels by 2025, but air freight was likely to be 30 per cent more by 2025.

"So we would encourage Air NZ to invest in a few more freighters as well as more belly space and whilst the US market is an important market for all of us, I'm not quite sure that the decision not to go to Europe or continue is the right one."

Mainfreight is a listed New Zealand company that began 44 years ago. It operates in about 25 countries and has about 9000 staff.

Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Latest from Freight and logistics

Premium
Politics

Treasury 'got it wrong' predicting KiwiRail to fall short of financial target, Winston Peters says

23 Jun 05:00 PM
Freight and logistics

'It is a cash grab, plain and simple': 77% port fee hike sparks industry outrage

27 May 06:56 AM
Premium
Capital markets report

How Trump tariffs are clouding NZ's economic outlook

13 May 04:59 PM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Freight and logistics

Premium
Treasury 'got it wrong' predicting KiwiRail to fall short of financial target, Winston Peters says

Treasury 'got it wrong' predicting KiwiRail to fall short of financial target, Winston Peters says

23 Jun 05:00 PM

'Treasury were cautious given the economic conditions, but the company delivered.'

'It is a cash grab, plain and simple': 77% port fee hike sparks industry outrage

'It is a cash grab, plain and simple': 77% port fee hike sparks industry outrage

27 May 06:56 AM
Premium
How Trump tariffs are clouding NZ's economic outlook

How Trump tariffs are clouding NZ's economic outlook

13 May 04:59 PM
Premium
Stock Takes: Will reporting season see the end of a bear market?

Stock Takes: Will reporting season see the end of a bear market?

08 May 09:00 PM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP