LEASEPLAN UK has clinched the deal to replace the FES Group’s fully-owned fleet with up to 500 new vehicles on contract hire.

The move is a first for independent building services provider FES, won over to contract hire benefits  after 50 years of maintaining an outright purchase fleet. LeasePlan will adopt a phased approach during the four-year contract. The first phase will deliver 159 contract hire vehicles, and these primarily commercial vehicles will be used for mobile engineering and facilities management support.

As well as the fully maintained contract hire, LeasePlan will also provide limited daily rental services, an extended damage waiver, mileage pooling, glass and extended relief vehicle access. Alongside these core services, FES has also taken up the option of grey fleet management support, policy and commercial vehicles consultancy, reporting, telematics and an improvement programme.

To assist FES with the change from outright purchase to contract hire, LeasePlan is helping with employee communications regarding the new fleet arrangement and explaining the associated benefits to FES drivers.

LeasePlan’s brand director Simon Carr said: “Our contract hire solution offers genuine savings for FES and our hard work continues to ensure a smooth transition as the first vehicles arrive.

“Communication with employees is essential during this sort of replacement. LeasePlan is working closely with FES to ensure the process is fully understood by all employees and that the benefits of the new arrangement are clearly felt by all.”

Ian Maitland, director at FES said: “The arrangement will bring real benefits to FES in terms of fuel and operational cost efficiencies, an expansive geographic support network that meets the growing demand of our UK wide operations, improved sustainability through reduced carbon dioxide emissions and more importantly, ensuring we meet our duty of care responsibilities with improved driver safety through reliability and technology.

“Our vehicles have always set us apart from our competitors, our red vans displaying the pylon logo are a recognised brand for FES and as the company continues to grow and evolve, we are keen to see our vehicles continue to underpin the strength of the brand that is FES.”