Fastway Couriers honours franchisees at 30 year gala dinner

Sarah Stowe

Recently holding its 30 year gala dinner in New Zealand, Fastway Couriers congratulated and awarded its highest achievers for their efforts and contributions for the past year.

Sydney resident Khaled Ghanem took out Australian Courier Franchisee of the Year and said he was honoured to accept the award and to be recognised for the ongoing effort he has put in to growing his business.

“I have always put in 100 per cent with Fastway ever since I started. I knew my territory had the potential to be a success and I think what led me to work so hard was being an actual business owner,” Ghanem said.

“I’ve achieved 66% growth in a 12 month period. This award is going to encourage me to work even harder and achieve bigger and better results in the years to come.” he added.

CEO of the Australian network, Richard Thame congratulated Ghanem and said he deserves the recognition for winning back old clients and to continue to the Fastway service.

Long term serving franchisee, Renee Bennett won the equivalent award for New Zealand and said her success came down to exploring new ways to grow the business.

“After being with Fastway for more than ten years, it’s safe to say that I know the business well. I know what works and what doesn’t, which is why I’m constantly looking towards new ways to service businesses across Hamilton,” Renee said.

Fastway Napier owner, Renee Bennett (right) wins New Zealand Courier Franchisee of the Year said her win comes down to thinking outside the box. Image source: Fastway Couriers

Waikato regional franchisee, Doug Hope said Bennett has set an inspiring example for other employees.

“On average Renee moves more than 1,600 parcels per week, which is a huge amount, but she always manages to keep her courier bay clear at the end of each and every cycle. I have been told on numerous occasions by customers that she is the reason they stay with us,” Hope said.

Regional Franchisee of the Year for Australia went to husband and wife duo, Robyn and Darren Woolage (Fastway Couriers Townsville) with Russell and Therese Boniface (Fastway Couriers Wairarapa) winning the New Zealand Regional Franchisee of the Year.

Commenting on the Woolage family’s win, CEO of Fastway Couriers of Australia, Richard Thame said, “They have been active members of the Townsville community, supporting charity initiatives and continually delivering outstanding customer service. It’s an honour to present them with this award.”

Owners of Fastway Townsville, Robyn and Darren Woolage (centre and right) took out the award for regional Franchise of the Year for Australia. Image Source: Fastway Couriers

Russell Boniface took ownership of the Wairarapa franchise in October 2011 and has since employed various family members to take on particular jobs in the business.

“Each member of the group brings a unique skill to our Fastway business, which I believe is what makes us such a strong team. We’re a local business and we employ local people as our couriers to ensure we retain strong knowledge of the local community.

“Since joining Fastway we’ve had a clear goal to grow the franchise and always positioned customer service at the forefront of everything we do,” said Boniface.

Russell Boniface (right) and son Grant (left) accept the award for Regional Franchisee of the Year for their Wairarapa depot in New Zealand. CEO of Fastway Couriers NZ, Austin Mortimer (centre) congrats the family for their ongoing dedication. Image source: Fastway Couriers

Neeman Droubi joined the team in June 2011 and was awarded the Customer Service Award for his achievements and efforts to improve customer experience.

“In any business, customer service is vital. I was a Fastway customer for five years and had a great relationship with the customer service team so, when I started at Fastway as the customer service manager, I understood what customers wanted,” he said.

Sydney customer service manager, Neeman Droubi (left) wins the Customer Service Award. Image source: Fastway Couriers

General manager of Fastway Couriers Sydney, David Cianter said Droubi was selected from over 25 regional franchise depots and works towards encouraging the broader customer service team to deliver the best possible service to customers.

“He consistently delivers outstanding customer service excellence to new and existing customers, which is fundamental to our business. Customer retention has certainly been a high priority in the ever so competitive industry that we operate in,” said Cianter.