BVRLA becomes latest member of
Leaseurope

The BVRLA has joined Brussels-based
Leaseurope as a new member. The trade association for the vehicle
rental and leasing industry in the UK said the new membership will
help protect the interests of UK rental and leasing businesses at a
European level.

BVRLA chief executive John Lewis said:
“With an ever-increasing tide of EU legislation coming into force
we decided that membership of Leaseurope was an investment we had
to make in order to protect our members’ interests.”

 

Hitachi Data Systems invests more
in leasing division

Recognising the difficulties faced by its
partners in obtaining credit, Hitachi Data Systems (HDS), a storage
vendor, has said that it will invest further in its financial
services division.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

“There will be more focus on our
financial services, such as leasing and financing, to help
resellers through these tough times,” Neil Evans, regional sales
director for UK channels at HDS, told Computer Reseller
News
.

The vendor also plans on introducing a
raft of new initiatives, such as deferred payment terms, while
continuing to provide value-added resellers with additional funding
for the HDS training and development programme.

 

Majority of firms investing in
‘green’ equipment

A new study of UK and other European
companies has revealed that 71 percent of European firms have
invested in energy-saving equipment, and 43 percent have acquired
equipment with a reduced carbon footprint. Yet, two thirds of firms
questioned cited the cost of green equipment as the chief obstacle
to making further investments.

In order to overcome the affordability
obstacle, Siemens Financial Services (SFS), which carried out the
survey, suggests that asset financing techniques should play a more
important role in making green equipment more affordable,
especially in a time of scarce credit.

 

HP in £50m deal

HP Financial Services has signed a sale
and leaseback contract with Korea’s Shinhan Bank worth some $50
million (€37 million), which will cover the bank’s IT assets. HP
will partner with Shinhan to deploy new technology to support the
bank’s business plan and to manage the disposal of old assets in an
environmentally responsible manner. According to the lessor, the
sale and leaseback was also designed to help the bank improve
return on investment, enhance business efficiency and further
expand its operations.

 

Lombard signs £2m coach
deal

Lombard, the asset finance arm of Royal
Bank of Scotland, has signed a deal with coach firm Swans Travel,
worth £2 million (€2.2 million), to upgrade its fleet with
environmentally-friendly vehicles. Swans Travel has bought 15
Mercedes-Benz Tourismo coaches to replace older models. The new
vehicles are fitted with fuel efficient engines to reduce
emissions.
“It is essential we continually invest in our fleet,” said Swans
Travel managing director Kieran Swindells. “Our strategy is to have
the most modern vehicles while considering our impact on the
environment.”

 

Bipper deal for Kevin
Cooper

Kevin Cooper Motor Factors has taken
delivery of a fleet of 30 Peugeot Bipper vans, which the car parts
delivery firm said will reduce its fuel bills, thanks to the vans’
superior engine efficiency. The vans have been provided on contract
hire by Lombard Vehicle Management, and supplied by local
dealership Renwicks of Plymouth. The Bippers are expected to get
around 50-55mpg, an improvement on Kevin Cooper’s previous van
fleet of Ford vehicles, which managed 30-35mpg.

 

AirMed increasing
fleet

Oxford-based air ambulance operator Air
Medical Limited (AirMed) has added an aircraft to its fleet of
seven, using a £678,000 asset finance package from Lombard. The
aircraft, a Cheyenne turboprop model, is the fourth of its kind in
AirMed’s fleet, and will offer the company increased capacity,
speed and range. A NatWest banking customer, AirMed came to Lombard
through NatWest relationship manager Justin Hayward, who in turn
introduced RBS group colleague Nigel Tyson, of Lombard.

 

LPM in Triple Point
win

LPM Outsourcing has won a lease portfolio
management contract with Triple Point, a lessor specialising in
public sector finance. The Pinner-based company will assist Triple
Point in managing individual leasing agreements for its clients and
in providing associated lease accounting services. It said it
worked closely with Triple Point over the last six months to
establish a framework for growing the portfolio.

 

Jaama scoops two cost-saving
deals

Jaama, a fleet management software
specialist, has won two deals with Key2 vehicle management. One was
for the provision of a resource that highlights discrepancies
relating to vehicle registration documents, road fund licences and
MoT certificates, expected to save customers around £6,000 a year.
The second deal is expected to slash the company’s fleet
administration time by one day per week.

 

Sword Apak lands Swiss
deal

Sword Apak, the Bristol-based software
specialist, has been chosen by Mazda for its wholesale finance
operations in Switzerland. Mazda is to finance its dealerships in
Switzerland, while in the UK it is being provided by Santander
Consumer Finance. Sword Apak said dealers will be able to use the
software to maintain and manage their accounts online through views
of their inventory, available credit, vehicle details and
history.