62 | WESTPAC AUCKLAND BUSINESS AWARDS Rocket Freight Nothing can hold Rocket Freight back Karen Phelps The Rocket Freight team - helping to keep the country moving. NZ'S LEADING CAR COMPLIANCE CENTRE A one-off compliance check is required for all imported cars, bikes & most other vehicles. Our team of professionals will get your car or motorcycle complied, registered and roadworthy in no time. Get in touch now for all compliance queries. s a l e s@f a s t t r a c kc omp l i a n c e . c o . nz www. f a s t t r a c kc omp l i a n c e . c o . nz PROUDLY SUPPORT I NG ROCKE T FRE I GHT Rocket Freight has not let the pandemic hold it back. In the past year it has opened its own MPI approved facility with a customs bonded warehouse, increased the number of employees by 50%, and managed to increase revenue by 40% on the previous year. Now it’s a finalist in the Westpac Auckland Business Awards. Company owner Jason Coleman admits it’s been a roller coaster ride navigating the business through the pandemic but it’s also allowed Rocket Freight to improve its processes and service to customers. “For example having our own store has allowed us to bring our container unpacks inhouse that were previously subcontracted out. “This gave us more control and visibility over our container movements. It also allowed us to offer a range of storage solutions to people that were stuck due to Covid, either unable to return to New Zealand, or in managed isolation. It also allowed us to offer more services to our current customers, adding packing services for export containers and pick and pack distribution,” he explains citing just one of many improvements. Adding a project cargo specialist to the team has meant this additional service can be provided and has helped the company achieve growth through the expansion of its customer base. Rocket Freight has also taken on the XS Baggage brand, becoming the New Zealand franchise operator for the US based company. “While we wait for the vaccine to roll out, and for our borders to open, we believe we have put in the ground work to take a lead role in shipping people’s belongings around the globe.” Within the Rocket Freight’s vehicle shipping division Willship NZ it has invested in instant quoting, enabling the company to deliver up to the minute information that the current market demands. Investing in its people, who Jason cites as the real factor behind the company’s success, has also been key with several team members having been put through MPI ATF and forklift courses. Close relationships with suppliers are also vital: “As an industry we are currently experiencing the biggest space shortage in the last 25 years. We manage this with constant negotiations so that we can continue to hold our own amongst much larger competition and ensure that we can still offer the service to our customers. “We endeavour to provide consistent transparency to our customers throughout these negotiations so they can be sure that we are achieving the best possible outcome for them.” Owned by Jason and Lisa Witchman, Rocket Freight was started in 2014 and offers freight forwarding and customs brokerage to a wide range of clients. Services include air and sea import/export, vehicle relocation and helping people move their household goods overseas when they move countries. Jason says that although initially freight was not considered an essential service when the ports began to back up and warehouses became blocked it was seen how vital this industry is. “We are proud to have helped keep the country moving and operating during the pandemic so people could continue to access the goods they needed. This was certainly a significant achievement for our business.”
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