SOFT drinks and packing company The Robinson Group has decided to contract hire its 60-strong multi-badge fleet instead of outright purchasing the cars. Six companies were invited to tender for the business and the full-maintenance contract has been secured by Hartwell Motor Contracts for the largely petrol-engined fleet which is on a four-year replacement cycle.

The Robinson Group financial controller Steve Chase said: 'We're planning a major relocation in the near future, and need to ensure that every penny is spent as cost-effectively as possible. Running a large vehicle fleet is expensive, so that was one of the areas we looked at.'

As well as a requirement to reduce capital outlay, concerns over residual values were also a priority. Chase said: 'The last thing the company wanted was to buy new cars, especially as there was no hope of securing a reasonable re-sale price three or four years down the line.'