wsj: australia’s trump targets the mail

Australia’s Trump targets the mail

NOVEMBER 22, 2011, 4:46 PM ET

By Geoffrey Rogow


TZ Limited
Not to be satisfied with high ratings alone, the host of Australia’s “The Apprentice” on Tuesday launched his latest passion — a new automated mail box system.

Mark Bouris, the financier turned chairman of Australian technology company TZ Ltd., hopes that his new residential mailboxes will revolutionize the delivering of packaged goods by offering an automated, locked mail box system that will also send SMS and email alerts to customers. The technology is particularly crucial in Australia as a high Australian dollar has fueled a massive surge of online shopping for items such as clothes and shoes, with local retailers even crying foul about the growth.

Bouris noted about 40% of Australian post deliveries in the past year couldn’t be delivered and had to be returned to the post office for pick up.

The launch is just the latest in a stream of businesses for the tv show host. Besides TZ, he founded non-bank home lender Wizard Home Loans, wealth management company Yellow Brick Road and is on the board of several other Australian companies.

And this season’s Celebrity Apprentice torched the Monday night ratings war, with more than 1.61 million viewers tuning into the show’s finale.

“When the finale was going on last night, I couldn’t stop thinking about this,” said Bouris about the launch of the new TZ product, which can even be offered with a cooling mechanism for grocery deliveries.

Ever the salesman, Bouris said it would be the first upgrade to the mail box since it was invented in 1803.

But for those hoping for an automated mail box, it could be some time. The firm has set up the boxes at an apartment complex in Chicago, but is looking for a partner before expanding. Bouris said the possible candidates range from Internet providers to delivery companies like DHL or FedEx. Even home builders could potentially partner with the firm, said Bouris.

That process of finding a partner will begin early next year.

Readers, what do you think, is the latest Bouris-driven innovation going to catch on?

http://blogs.wsj.com/dealjournalaustralia/2011/11/22/australias-trump-targets-the-mail/?mod=google_news_blog