COMPANY car drivers in Northern Ireland will be able to take advantage of Kwik-Fit Fleet's mobile tyre fitting service from March. Last year the fast-fit giant bought out its joint venture partner Hampden in Northern Ireland, and it is now investing heavily to deliver the same levels of service that fleets and drivers on the mainland expect.

Kwik-Fit has 13 centres in the province, with another seven at the planning stage, and a goal of having a 30-strong network. Spearheading the firm's fleet effort is new account manager for Northern Ireland, Aidan Neeson. 'It's a very fast-growing economy at the moment with a lot of inward investment, and businesses are using the company car as part of the reward package to attract the right people,' he said.

He estimated that there are about 65,000 to 70,000 company cars in Northern Ireland within the 20-plus fleet sector, and the same number in the sub-20 category. The majority of these outright purchased, although many of Britain's largest leasing companies also run vehicles on behalf of customers whose main fleet is in mainland Britain.