With green shoots of economic recovery showing, the Cambridgeshire-based firm, which provides a wide range of vehicle mobility and finance solutions to businesses, is predicting double-digit growth in 2014 and has expanded its team by almost a third as it looks to build on the success of 2013.
To meet this growing demand, Alliance has made a number of key appointments across its business in its sales, sales support and central reservations teams.
Managing director Jeremy Lavallin has also reshuffled the company’s senior management team. Mark Thompson, who has been promoted to rental services director, takes full responsibility for Alliance’s corporate rental arm; and Colin Mather, is promoted to operations and fleet director, with responsibility for fleet, rental and funding operations. Catherine Werrett continues as finance director.
While demand for the company’s vehicle leasing and contract hire solutions is increasing along with its portfolio of fleet management services, it is corporate rental that is driving growth.
Thompson said: ‘Vehicle rental is always in demand at the start and end of a recession. There is no doubt that growth in vehicle rental is a barometer for economic recovery.’
As a result, Alliance Asset Management is seeing demand for vehicle hire ranging from just a single day to longer-term, flexible rental solutions.
Thompson added: ‘There is a marked increase in the number of vehicles we are renting to companies for new employees, whether that is for the duration of a probation period or as pre-contract vehicles whilst company cars are on order.
‘Encouragingly, we are also winning significant new business for companies requiring commercial vehicles, in the construction and infrastructures sectors, as investment is being made across the country.
‘Some businesses, particularly SMEs, are continuing to struggle to secure additional funding lines from their banks or leasing companies, so vehicle rental makes perfect sense. Throughout the depths of the recession, Alliance has continued to support new and existing customers through a difficult trading climate.’
