BLUE Circle Industries - with an 820-strong company fleet - has swapped its fleet management company and brought its car purchase and disposal operation in-house. Dial Contracts has won the three year deal to look after the fleet maintenance and to provide accident management services. The company will be managing a spend of £2.7 million spread over the next three years.

The contract represents a success for Dial Major Corporate, the division Dial formed last year to offer a more focused service for customers with fleets of more than 100 cars.

The cars will run for four years or 115,000 miles being changed on average at 3.2 years. Job cars will continue to be split between three manufacturers - Toyota, Citroen and Ford - with the Toyota Carina E lean-burn petrol car being offered as an alternative to a diesel. Cars will be purchased through two dealer groups and disposed of by auction.

The Blue Circle appointment follows hard on the heels of a £2.25 million sale and leaseback deal between Dial and cash and carry group Nurdin & Peacock. Dial, owned by Barclays Bank, manages 65,000 vehicles in the UK.