Bristol specialist vehicle leasing firm Vanaways has struck two new partnerships as its growth continues to accelerate.
The firm, which is on track to sell more than 6,000 vehicles this year, has signed deals with fuel and fleet cost reduction specialist Fleetmaxx and Veriforce CHAS, the UK’s leading provider of risk prevention, compliance and supply chain services for contractors.
Fleetmaxx was set up in 2018 in in Motherwell, Scotland, by former directors of a number of corporate fuel card businesses.
Liam Nicholas of Vanaways with Fleetmaxx business development manager Cordelle Gaffney
It has since added four additional offices in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Burnley, Ipswich and Whitstable and now provides fuel cards which can be used at more than 3,500 filling stations across the country, including 800-plus HGV stations.
Fleetmaxx director Rob Webb said: “Finding a decent partner on the sale of vans has been a struggle for while. So we’re happy to be teaming up with Vanaways and are confident that they share our insistence on quality of service.
“It’s important that our customers have their needs met with reliability and the necessary speed of service, which are what Vanaways is becoming renowned for.”
The link-up with Veriforce CHAS, part of the Oilfast group, gives Vanaways direct access to more than 33,000 potential business customers around the UK.
The Oilfast group provides a range of services from bulk fuel and lubricants, through to Fleetmaxx’s specialisms of fuel cards, tracking services, AdBlue and EV charging.
Veriforce CHAS was formed a year ago through the acquisition of CHAS by supply chain risk management firm Veriforce.
Alex Minnett and David Turner of CHAS with Liam Nicholas, right
Originally a department of the London Borough of Merton, CHAS has built a strong reputation for simplifying health and safety pre-qualification and raising standards of risk management.
Now it is poised to add discounted vehicle purchasing, financing and maintenance to its suite of member benefits, through its relationship with Vanaways as the recommended van supplier.
CHAS will promote van deals offered by Vanaways, including around electric vehicles, as well as offering each new purchaser a branded FleetPack including tailored advice, technology and safety equipment.
CHAS head of marketing David Turner said: “Of our 33,000 members, 60% are of 10 vans or fewer, then we go up to firms with 5,000 people or more with huge fleets.
“Vans are critical to our members’ livelihoods – if they can’t drive, they can’t get to their worksites – so we wondered how we could help those companies too small to have fleet managers, as well as the larger fleet owners, with buying, financing and maintaining their vehicles.
“We were introduced to Vanaways via one of our long-time members and they came very highly recommended. They’re brilliant, because they’re not tied to any manufacturer. That’s key, as different companies need different types of vehicle.”
Vanaways is undergoing spectacular current growth of its own, having moved into new offices in Ham Green last year.
Its turnover has risen dramatically over the past 12 months from £55m in 2022.
Working with a large network of suppliers across the UK, the company offers free delivery with a digitalised sales process which enables quick fulfilment of the customer’s fleet needs.
In the meantime, staff numbers have risen to 72 as it completed sales on more than 5,000 vehicle sales last year.
