Leasing company Ogilvie has expanded into the rental sector in response to rapid growth in the short-term hire business market.
New brand Ogilvie Rental will operate as a standalone division within the contract hire and leasing company.
Ogilvie claims its service can offer customers a choice of half a million cars and commercial vehicles from 2,000 locations for periods ranging from a day to a year, with vehicles delivered within two hours if required.
According to the multi BusinessCar-award-winning brand, its short-term hire business has grown by 27% in the past year to become a £4.5 million-a-year operation, with the firm predicting that turnover will top £5 million a year next year.
In addition, the rental team has expanded to nine people from seven, with further recruitment planned on the back of the launch and an increased demand for rental services.
The rental division said it aims to take care of demands including:
- Replacement of a vehicle temporarily off the road
- Employees not benefitting from a company car requiring a vehicle for a specific journey and a desire by employers to reduce ‘grey fleet’ use (staff driving their own vehicles on business trips)
- Vehicle provision for new staff during the completion of a probationary period of employment
- Employees visiting a UK-based business from sister companies located elsewhere in the world
- Seasonal demands, particularly for temporary sales staff recruited to launch new products
- Companies undergoing change, perhaps as a result of a takeover or major fleet review, and a hold being put on new vehicle orders
- A company having axed their own pool vehicles due to occupational road risk considerations requiring occasional vehicles
- As a stop-gap measure for employees between the disposal of their current company car and prior to them taking delivery of their new vehicle
- Car hire from UK airports to support domestic and international business travel.
“Our daily rental team has been phenomenally successful in building up the customer base to the extent that we now see the short-term hire business as a standalone division within Ogilvie Fleet,” said Jim Hannah, operations director at Ogilvie Fleet. “The personal service our team offers is key to the success we are achieving, alongside the very competitive rates we are able to offer due to our buying power and scales of economy, access to the entire UK short-term rental network and the flexible solution offered.”