A growing fleet management company has moved into one of Teesside’s flagship business centres to give the firm more room to expand.
Q Fleet has moved into the Innovation Centre in Hartlepool following a period of strong growth that was kick-started when it began offering new services to its clients.
The building is managed by º£½ÇÊÓÆµ Steel Enterprises, which is owned by Tata Steel.
Mark Batey, founder of Q Fleet, said: “We were bursting at the seams in our Billingham offices. We needed more space for the current seven-strong team and so that we can take on more staff early next year.
“One of our clients in the energy sector started out in the Innovation Centre so I already knew that the facilities and support are just what we needed. The location is ideal too as our client list is increasing across the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ as well as in the region.”
Q Fleet carries out management services for businesses and helps its clients source, buy, and sell vehicles, as well as operating a retail focused arm in the form of a car lease shop.
The company has seen an increase in business after deciding to offer its customers free fleet audits. The service sees Q Fleet check that its clients are complying with all regulations and are operating cost-effectively.
Mr Batey has also achieved an accountancy qualification to make sure that he can handle the financial side of fleet management.
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He said: “We work with clients needing anything from a single vehicle to hundreds. Demand is growing steadily from businesses that don’t have this expertise in-house through to larger companies who do have a fleet manager but choose to outsource some of the operation very cost-effectively.
“Businesses are becoming more aware of the many implications and legal liabilities involved right up to recognising that directors can be held responsible for corporate manslaughter if a vehicle is involved in a serious accident. It’s a challenging area so they are increasingly looking for the reassurance of independent advice and expertise.”
Joan Cook, a member of the º£½ÇÊÓÆµSE team based at the Innovation Centre on Hartlepool’s Queens Meadow Business Park, said: “We were happy to welcome Mark and his team to the Centre and look forward to seeing Q Fleet continue to grow. They are joining a friendly and supportive business community with around 50 business tenants operating in many different sectors.”