Holman expands network ahead of BT contract start date

Holman has grown its service, maintenance, and repair (SMR) network to more than 2,000 outlets, tripling its size in the past year.

The news comes as the leasing and fleet management provider prepares to take over the maintenance of the BT Group commercial vehicle fleet from September 30, following the contract win earlier this year from Rivus. 

The initial seven-year agreement covers solutions including SMR, portfolio management, glass replacement and pool vehicle/rental management for approximately 37,000 commercial vehicles. 

The company recently appointed Nimesh Chauhan to oversee the contract.  

Facilitating Holman’s network growth are key alliances with major players in the SMR industry. Central to this network remains Holman's longstanding Masterserve partnership.

The network, says Holman, has been put together to cater for the increasing diversity of fleets.

Specialised areas of focus include a dedicated network of garages specifically looking after HGV and complex vehicles weighing above 3.5 tonnes.

The network also includes specialists for plant machinery and other equipment.

Paul Probert, Holman's operations director, said: "We have highly advanced systems for managing SMR, and a team of experts ready to plan and control the work required to minimise the time when a vehicle needs to be taken off the road.

“This expansion takes the Holman proposition to another level, ensuring the capacity and capability for consistent servicing with competitive pricing across the country."

The past year, says Holman, has seen an intensive onboarding process to ensure that all providers adhere to defined standards, guaranteeing high levels of service and expertise.

To manage this transformation, Holman has tripled the size of its nationwide field engineer team, with a mission is to ensure uniform service quality and technical expertise across the entire network.

The network expansion has extra capacity built-in to accommodate business growth requirements, says Holman. It will also open doors to new services including 24-hour availability, electric vehicle repair specialisation, and enhanced mobile SMR provision.

Nick Caller, Holman’s managing director, said: "Achieving a network size of more than 2,000 SMR outlets gives us the scale to serve all of our customers in every way possible, ensuring the highest standards of service, regardless of fleet size or operation.

“This expansion marks an exciting chapter for Holman, and there are further developments on the horizon. We are committed to delivering the most advanced, best prepared, and expertly managed SMR provision in the industry.”

The news of Holman's network expansion comes as hundreds of Rivus employees, impacted by the loss of the BT Group contract to Holman for its commercial vehicle fleet, face an uncertain future after Rivus announced it was cutting its network by more than half.