Mainfreight shareholders support employee scheme

By Campbell McIlroy

Friday 28th July 2000

Speculation that institutional investors would oppose an extension to Mainfreight's share purchase scheme was proved wrong at yesterday's annual meeting as it was passed unopposed.

Mainfreight managing director Bruce Plested said the institutions that had criticised the plan had not done their homework as they wrongly thought it was a scheme for a small group of executives.

The scheme will be available to all employees. It made sense to have people committed to the company as shareholders and was the way business should be done, Mr Plested said.

The motion will enable the company to offer employees up to 1.4 million shares or 2% of the shares on issue and the company will lend up to $2 million for employees to buy into the scheme.

Mainfreight recorded a $9 million after-tax profit for the year to March 31, up 30.4% from last year on turnover of $312 million, up 9% from the previous year.

In April, Mainfreight bought underperforming Australian freight forwarder K & S Express and has renamed it Mainfreight Distribution Pty. The price was $A9.4 million.

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