"It was a good result - strong across all the regions which is important. Mainfreight is quite big these days and global performances play a key part in the business."
Revenue at $2.94 billion -13 per cent or $337m up on last year - was a touch weaker than the market expected, but the business had been managed well with costs kept down, Lister said. Adjusted for foreign exchange impact, revenue was up 10.8 per cent and Ebitda up 18 per cent.
Net profit after tax before abnormals was up $29m or 26 per cent at $141m.
The company will pay a full year dividend of 56c per share, up 24.4 per cent on last year's.
The final dividend was 34c per share fully imputed. The dividend policy is to pay 40 per cent of net profit.
Operating cashflows were strong at $197.4m, up from $140.2m the previous year.
Also lower than the market expected was net debt, said Lister.
Net debt was $130.4 million, down $66.3m on last year.
Mainfreight's gearing ratios improved from 21.7 per cent to 13.5 per cent.
On the debt reduction, Braid said capital expenditure at $89m was "pretty low for us".
"That's really because some land deals hadn't come to fruition because of council permission or resource consents and so forth. One (deal) was settled post-result and two more in Australia will settle before the end of June."
Capital expenditure on land and buildings in the next two years was expected to be $350m as the company continued to improve its network.
Debt for the 2020 financial year would be up to $200m and for 2021, $260m, as Mainfreight continued to expand premises to meet growth pressures.
Braid didn't give guidance for the 2020 financial year but said the company felt "pretty confident" about the long-term success of the business.
"We are comfortable we're getting some traction in some of those bigger countries. It's starting to feel more like a global business - yet there's still plenty to do in New Zealand."
New Zealand operation Ebitda was a record, up 12.2 per cent or $12m at $110.5m, and revenue rose 8 per cent, or $52m, to $718.7m.
Mainfreight said its influence intensified in every region in the country. New regional branches were in the final stages of planning with implementation due in the current financial year.
Logistics business warehousing expanded, including into Cromwell, Otago. New sites for warehousing were coming for Hamilton, with planning under way for Tauranga.
A 9th site in Auckland opened post-result.
On the transport side of the business, a major new Mount Maunganui facility was expected to open mid-next year, and planning was under way for new facilities in south and west Auckland, Whakatane and Levin. The Oamaru facility would be extended and replacement facilities were ahead for Napier, Masterton, Blenheim and Gore.
Australian business Ebitda was up 11 per cent at A$55m, while revenue rose 14 per cent to A$710m.
In the Asian business, Ebitda rose 28 per cent to US$6m. Revenue was down 11 per cent at US$74m. Braid said this was due to releasing some unprofitble wholesale airfreight revenue. Margins had improved as the company gained other customers, he said.
Mainfreight was now in 8 countries with 21 branches.
Craig's Lister said it was pleasing to see growth and momentum gaining in Mainfreight's European operations.
Ebitda rose 31 per cent there to Euro 23m. Revenue was up 12 per cent to Euro 376m.
Improvement in the Americas was slower than Braid would like, but Ebitda was up 37 per cent to US$26m. Revenue rose 13.5 per cent to US$493.8m.
Mainfreight shares were up $1.39, or 3.86 per cent, at $37.39 at 5pm Tuesday.