Fleet Logistics, which manages in excess of 110,000 cars on behalf of large international fleet customers, has launched into the growing Polish fleet market with new staff and offices in the capital, Warsaw.

Fleet Logistics said it initially identified Poland as a growth opportunity it wished to expand into when the business was acquired by TÜV SÜD Auto Service last September.At the same time, a number of international fleet customers with subsidiaries in the country began asking Fleet Logistics to establish a presence there so that they could benefit from the solutions and services they received elsewhere across Europe.

“If we want to be a truly pan-European fleet management supplier, then Poland is simply a country we need to be in,” said Business Development Director Simon Spremberg.

The economy in Poland, which has a population of 40 million, is the sixth largest in the European Union and the 20th in the world. It is one of the fastest growing economies of the EU, and had a yearly growth rate of over 3.0 percent before the credit crunch of 2007-8. It is the only EU member country to have avoided a decline in GDP and, in 2009, had the highest GDP growth rate across the Union.

Poland also has a mature and established fleet market totalling around 1.5 million company cars, the overwhelming majority of which are currently acquired through outright purchase or finance lease, according to Fleet Logistics. There are, however, a growing number of major international leasing companies in operation in the country, the two largest, Arval and LeasePlan, have fleets of around 10,000-15,000 cars. There is also a second tier of leasing companies, including Alphabet, Athlon Car Lease, ALD Automotive and Business Lease, which typically operate fleets of around 3,500 to 7,500 units. A third tier of smaller local operators, including banks and dealer groups, offers leasing solutions to smaller corporate customers.

Fleet Logistics said it believes that the growth of operational leasing presents an opportunity for it to grow its presence in the country.

“The second tier of leasing companies has aspirations to move up to the top tier, and they are very happy to see us establish a presence here as they are used to working with us in other countries across Europe,” said Business Development Manager, Yves Helven.

Fleet Logistics said it is currently working on the implementation of its products and services with Polish divisions of existing clients, starting with global industrial gases and equipment supplier, Air Products. It then intends to recruit new customers from the local market as well as ensuring it is capable of providing a full range of products and solutions for existing clients, including its acclaimed multi-bidding solution which has been proven to reduce acquisition costs by around 8-10 percent.