Reflex Vehicle Hire is celebrating a historic milestone as the business marks its 10th anniversary.
In the last decade, the business has worked with thousands of fleet drivers and customers to meet their flexible needs, and it now has nearly 6,000 vehicles on the fleet with annual revenues of more than £50m.
During this time, it’s protected businesses from unexpected costs while helping employees to avoid on-road incidents through its unique safety commitment.
Since the business was founded in 2012, its Safety as Standard pledge has been a cornerstone commitment and over the years it has been enhanced with a growing list of innovations. Reflex was one of the first companies in the industry to limit vans to 70mph and also pioneered the provision of vehicle tracking and dashcams throughout the fleet.
New innovations, developed with the help of customer feedback, were developed into its Driive with Reflex modular risk management service. Features include a telematics monitoring and data analysis service, along with a distraction and tiredness warning system. And where available, Reflex Vehicle Hire adds factory-fitted incident reduction technology to vehicles, which can reduce crashes by 30%.
The business has also worked to reduce fleet downtime and costs with national mobile servicing. Its commitment to customer service and innovation saw Reflex become the first van rental business to receive Van Excellence operator accreditation from the Freight Transport Association (now Logistics UK).
Other innovations have included mild hybrid welfare vans as part of a growing electrified fleet.
The company’s work to support fleets with the Government’s 2030 ICE ban has also seen it launch services including Reflex Renewable Drive, the zero-emission test drive service for fleet managers, and the EV:IE (Electric Vehicle Information Exchange) fleet evaluation tool that assesses which vehicles can go electric.
Reflex also supports a number of charitable initiatives, from food banks to blood banks, and has run a high-profile campaign to raise mental health awareness for employees and drivers. It’s also working to lead equality and diversity within the fleet sector, such as support for apprenticeships and an increased number of female managers, including the appointment of Lisa Spong as the first female director of the business in 2018.
Most recently, a share buy-back last year gave the Waring family 92% ownership of the business to prepare it for future growth.
Reflex Vehicle Hire managing director Oliver Waring said: “I want to personally thank all the team for their hard work and dedication to making Reflex Vehicle Hire the best in the business.
“Over the past decade, we have worked in partnership with a wealth of fleet customers to develop the essential services and innovations that keep British businesses moving.
“In the next 10 years, the fleet industry will encounter some of the biggest changes in its history as electrification reshapes every part of the economy. The team at Reflex Vehicle Hire will be working in partnership with our customers along every mile of this challenging journey.”
