Fleet and workshop management expert Specialist Fleet Services (SFS) is celebrating 30 years in business this month.
The milestone anniversary was marked with a special celebratory evening at Coombe Abbey in Warwickshire where staff from the company and its vehicle rental division CTS Hire enjoyed a medieval banquet and the presentation of awards including Commitment & Teamwork and Social Media Expert.
Located in Northampton, the business has built up a reputation as a competitive and flexible contract hire and fleet management company and was acquired by Paragon Bank, part of the Paragon Banking Group, in November 2015.
Aided by an onsite workshop, it provides contract hire and vehicle leasing solutions to the private and public sector along with comprehensive fleet management and workshop expertise.
The business runs workshops on behalf of local authorities such as Weymouth and Portland, Lichfield, Kettering, Epsom and Ewell, Hinckley and Bosworth, and Staffordshire Moorlands, and also has a network of mobile engineers to support customers’ fleets and keep them running smoothly.
In October 2013, SFS completed its contact hire offering with the acquisition of one of the UK’s leading municipal spot hire companies, Collett Transport Services (CTS), and also established an asset finance business, Paragon Vehicle Finance, in August 2014, as part of expansion plans.
Bob Sweetland, managing director, SFS said: “Reaching 30 years is a significant birthday and it was great to bring together staff from SFS and our vehicle rental division CTS Hire to celebrate this momentous occasion. I am proud of the whole team, and it was the perfect opportunity to thank everyone individually for their contribution to the company.”
Sweetland, who has been with the company from the start, also received the award for Longest Serving Employee.
Future company plans are particularly focused on the decarbonisation of local authority fleets.
Sweetland continued: “The electrification and decarbonisation of fleets is a major area of focus for the future for most councils and we are helping our customers lay the foundations for alternative fuelled fleets. As part of this we have installed two electric refuse vehicles at CTS Hire that councils can rent for three months to try out the technology on rounds in their own area and make informed decisions about their refuse collection fleet.”
