Fleet Logistics, a European fleet management provider, has continued its expansion across mainland Europe and the Near East with the opening of new fleet management operations in Turkey to service new and existing fleet customers.

In Turkey, the new Fleet Logistics will be headquartered in Istanbul, based at the local office of its parent company, TÜV SÜD.

Turkey, which has a population of 79 million, has around two million company cars with around 160,000 on operating leases, according to the company. There is a growing leasing market with most of the major international leasing operators already in situ, along with large numbers of small, local leasing companies.

Fleet Logistics, which has a fleet of 131,000 vehicles under contract, already has around 20 international customers who operate vehicle fleets in Turkey, said it sees a huge potential there as the country is fast-growing, with a strong economy, a large number of IT, high tech, and service companies and a young, well-educated professional class.

The move into Turkey is in response to the requests of fleet clients with existing businesses in the region and fleets of company cars but no supporting fleet management structure to facilitate them, according to the company.

“The opening of our first operations in Turkey puts more pieces in the Fleet Logistics’ jigsaw of mainland Europe and the Near East,” said Fleet Logistics Chief Executive Officer Rainer Laber. “In Turkey, we see another example of us working with the existing TÜV SÜD network and infrastructure in the country so that we are completely integrated within the operations of the parent company. This is very much what we had in mind with the acquisition of Fleet Logistics and, by using the TÜV SÜD network in this way, we can expand quickly into other countries in which our customers want us to service their local fleet. It also allows us to provide other automotive services from TÜV SÜD’s local product portfolio which will add significant value to our customers’ fleets in the region.”

The company said the initial development work is being led by Business Development Director Marcus Hennecke and the FLI Business Development team until they can hand over to the regional FLI organization, once stable operations are established. The Local Business Development Manager for Turkey Yves Helven, who is responsible for internal coordination and the relationship with customers, leasing companies and other partners, is currently implementing the first Turkish customers and making sure that the office and its staff are ready to go live from the beginning of September.