Venson equip Ocean Housing Group for service
Venson Automotive Solutions, the Thames Ditton-based multi-function fleet funding and management company, have proved their ability to provide vans equipped for service from its own purpose-built facility, winning them a contract from Cornwall-based Ocean Housing Group to manage its 125 strong light commercial vehicle fleet via Venson’s interactive online fleet management system
Venson won the contract from a rival leasing and fleet management company in a competitive tender. As part of the bid process Ocean Housing was also looking to downsize vehicles to meet its environmental credentials, whilst ensuring the new vans were fit for purpose.
With over 50 Ford Transit short wheel base vans and Ford Transit Connects already delivered to Ocean Housing and a further 22 vehicles expected to be delivered in May 2010, Venson’s one-stop shop approach to vehicle equipping and delivery means that all of the vans will be supplied ready for immediate use.
The vans are supplied by Ford direct to Venson’s unique Equip-For-Service facility in York, where they are fitted with ply-lining, roof racks, tow bars and reversing beepers and are then sign-written to reinforce Ocean Housing’s recent rebranding initiative.
All vehicles are being supplied on five-year/50,000-mile contract hire with maintenance agreements. Venson won the contract from a rival leasing and fleet management company in a competitive tender. As part of the bid process Ocean Housing was also looking to downsize vehicles to meet its environmental credentials, whilst ensuring the new vans were fit for purpose.
As a result or the company’s environmental remit, long wheelbase Transits are being replaced with short wheel base units and the Connects are taking the place of the outgoing short wheelbase units.
Ocean Housing Group building service manager Matt Rowe says the introduction of the smaller vehicles will deliver fuel bill savings of around £50,000 a year and reduce the fleet’s CO2 emissions by more than 100 tonnes.
Mr Rowe said: “Venson’s ability to bespoke our vehicles for use in their own workshop and ensure a co-ordinated delivery of vans was crucial in the company winning the contract.
“Venson also fully understood our wish to downsize the fleet to reflect our desire to reduce our carbon footprint, while ensuring that service, maintenance and repair work could be carried out locally as not all franchise dealers are easily accessible from Cornwall.”
He added: “Finally, our fleet department has been able to throw away their spreadsheets and can manage the vehicles more efficiently by logging on to Venson’s fleet management system. Overall their package of fleet solutions was head and shoulders above their competition.”
The ability to offer a one-stop leasing and fleet management service that, crucially, included the bespoke equipping of newly delivered vans was also key in Venson winning a deal to supply 19 vans to the newly established Watford Community Housing Trust. As well as carrying the Trust’s livery, vehicles were equipped with telematics systems, racking, deadlocks with armour plate, hand basins, roof racks, ply lining, rear steps, reversing sensors, additional power points, additional interior lighting and roof tubes for holding pipes.
Venson sales director Simon Staton said: “Our success in winning the Ocean Housing Group contract underlines our unique ability to provide an extensive cradle to grave service internally, without any reference to third party involvement.
“From the initial whole life cost vehicle review that importantly had to take into account the vans being fit-for-purpose, to supplying the vehicles suitably fitted out via our one-stop shop Equip-For-Service operation to day-to-day fleet management and ongoing policy advice, Venson has delivered.
“Additionally, while we undertook a complete analysis of potential vehicles for the fleet, it was vital that appropriate service centres were located close to Ocean Housing. We therefore completed a detailed mapping exercise to make sure that service, maintenance and repair work would be carried out at easily accessible centres so as to keep vehicle downtime to an absolute minimum. Ford won the day in terms of operating costs but also the availability of two major dealerships nearby.”
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Ford Transit Connect lease prices
Ford Transit Connect new and nearly prices
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