Leasedrive

Leasedrive re-signs BAT
30 January 2012

The Leasedrive Group, the UK’s largest independent privately-owned vehicle management group, has retained the business to supply contract hire and fleet management services in the UK to BAT, the world’s second largest quoted tobacco group by global market share. The sole-supply contract has been extended for a further three years and covers a fleet of around 350 cars leased to and owned by BAT.

Leasedrive Group commercial director, Roddy Graham said: “We are delighted to have retained the BAT business, which has been in the group’s portfolio since 2004. This is the second time that we have had to undergo a very thorough and comprehensive re-tender exercise. This was co-ordinated by Agrega, a joint venture between BAT and international brewer Anheuser-Busch, to manage each partner’s requirements for common non-industry specific goods and services through volume aggregation and category expertise.

“Of the BAT fleet, 48 per cent of vehicles are under contract hire and 52 per cent owned by BAT but managed by us. BAT operates a user-chooser fleet policy to maximise the attractiveness of the employee benefit and, in support, we also provide on-line driver licence checking, accident management and vehicle rental services.”

Viv Windrum, fleet manager, at BAT in the UK, commented: “Leasedrive has consistently provided a quality service to our company car drivers, which has often been commented upon. This underlines the importance and perceived value of the company car as part of an employee’s total reward package – after all, it’s one of the most valuable, high profile and emotive employee benefits.

“Following an extensive review process, we were happy to renew knowing that we would continue to receive the highest quality service with further added value in the future. Leasedrive continually improves the products and services it offers to us to make the employee driver experience the best available.”

Notes to Editors:

BAT
BAT is the world’s second largest quoted tobacco group by global market share, with brands sold in more than 180 markets.

With more than 200 brands in its portfolio, BAT makes the cigarette chosen by one in eight of the world’s one billion adult smokers. It holds robust market positions in each of its regions and has leadership in more than 50 markets. In 2010, its subsidiary companies sold 708 billion cigarettes.

In the same year, BAT subsidiaries enabled governments worldwide to gather more than £30 billion in taxes, including excise duty on its products, almost ten times the Group’s profit after tax.

BAT’s four Global Drive Brands – Dunhill, Kent, Lucky Strike and Pall Mall – cover the premium and value for money price segments. They grew by 7 per cent in 2010, or 13 billion more cigarettes.

BAT has sustained a significant global presence for over 100 years. Its business was founded in 1902 as a joint venture between the UK’s Imperial Tobacco Company and the American Tobacco Company founded by James ‘Buck’ Duke. Despite its name, derived from the home bases of its two founding companies, British American Tobacco was established to trade outside both the UK and the USA, and grew from its roots in dozens of countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America and continental Europe. By 1912, BAT had become one of the world’s top dozen companies by market capitalisation.

For more information, visit www.bat.com

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