Spanish express carrier MRW has opened another four franchises in Spain. The new outlets are in Barcelona, Badajoz (Extremadura), Segorbe (Valencia) and Villajoyosa (Alicante).
MRW has 810 franchises in Andorra, Spain, Gibraltar and Portugal.
The Spanish post operator Correos increased profits last year by 5.2 pct and is extending its portfolio with an upgraded parcel service. Correos closed 2007 with a pre-tax profit of EUR 149.6 million, a rise of 5.2 pct on the previous year. Revenues were up by 4.4 pct to EUR 2.1 billion.
Mail volumes rose by 2.2 pct, including election-related post, based on more added-value mail products. The Spanish postal operator said the profit figure confirmed its positive development over the last three years and its solid financial position in an increasingly competitive market.
Correos concluded a four-year programme of EUR 1 billion investment in technology, infrastructure and operations last year. In 2007, it invested EUR 233 million in areas such as infrastructure modernisation and new technology for mail operations.
Correos said it will shortly launch an upgraded domestic express parcel service under the name Postal Exprés Nacional. This service is designed for urgent parcel deliveries, signed for by addressees, with a delivery time of no more than 24 hours for most destinations. Although primarily for business customers, it will also be available to consumers.
Read MoreMRW increased sales by 12pct last year and has now extended its franchise network to more than 800 outlets.
The privately-owned company said its revenues grew by 12pct to EUR 632 million in 2007. It does not release profit figures. Major investments last year included a new EUR 17 million logistics hub in Barcelona and three other logistics hubs.
Meanwhile, MRW topped the 800 mark for franchise outlets with the opening of a branch at La Carlota in the province of Cordoba last month. The company said it normally opens about 25 franchise outlets each year, but exceeded the average last year with 36 additional locations.
MRW, which specialises in same-day and next-day delivery of documents and small packages, said it expects to grow at about the same rates again in 2008.
Read MoreSpanish express operator MRW and Italian parcels carrier Bartolini have announced expansion of their networks this month.
In Spain, MRW said it has opened new logistics platforms at Salamanca and Santiago de Compostela to improve its operations in those regions. The company now has 43 logistics bases across Spain.
It also added new franchise outlets in Seville, Ciudad Real and the provinces of Madrid, Vizcaya, Granada and Pontevedra. It now has nearly 800 outlets across Spain and Portugal.
In Italy, Bartolini opened a 25,000 sqm logistics hub in Turin under the name Turin Interporto Logistics Services facility on December 14. The building is fitted with advanced equipment for distribution logistics activities such as inbound, stock management and outbound.
Read MoreSpanish express company MRW has further extended its network with new franchises during November and also gained more prizes for its social engagement.
The company now has 792 franchise outlets in Spain, Portugal and Andorra with the opening of new outlets in Getafe (Madrid), Valencia and Jerez de la Frontera.
Meanwhile, MRW owner Francisco Martín Frías has won an award from the Fundación Cándido for the company’s engagement on behalf of children and handicapped persons. In addition, the Castile branch of the Spanish blind persons organisation ONCE awarded MRW a prize for its Plan 2000, giving handicapped persons a free shipment each month. The company also won an award from the Vitoria-based Fundación San Prudencio for its social responsibility activities.
Since 1993, MRW has invested more than EUR 69 million in its “Social Action” programme and last year spent 1.5% of revenues on various social activities.
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