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GROSVENOR GROUP MAGAZINE EDITION 4 2020

10

FEATURE

GREEN AGENDA SET TO

GATHER PACE IN 2020

ALSO INSIDE An ideal time to look at Salary Sacrifice Has the role of the company car changed forever?

www.grosvenor-leasing.co.uk

www.interactivefleet.co.uk

WELCOME

THE EDITOR’S

INTRODUCTION

LEE BROWN

FINANCE DIRECTOR,

INTERACTIVE FLEET MANAGEMENT

HEAD OF 0ZONE,

THE GROSVENOR GROUP’S

AWARD-WINNING GREEN SOLUTION

When our last Grosvenor Group magazine was

published in January, none of us could have

imagined how things were about to change.

We had to say goodbye to our chairman, Brian

Johnson, who sadly passed away in February. Brian

formed Grosvenor Leasing back in 1981 and will be

very greatly missed.

We then faced the COVID-19 pandemic and, on

behalf of everyone at the Grosvenor Group, I would

like to extend my thoughts to anyone that has been

affected by the coronavirus.

It has had an awful impact on the families who

have lost loved ones, and those who have suffered

terribly from this horrific pandemic.

We would also like to offer our appreciation to the

NHS, care home staff and other key workers across

the country who continue to do such an amazing job

during the most challenging of times.

As a business, like everyone else, we have had to

adapt and I hope that our customers feel we have

served them well during these times.

It will be interesting to see what the post lockdown

world looks like, and this edition of our magazine

reflects on that to some degree. We have written

some articles that we may not have considered as

relevant a few months ago, yet the environmental

impact of lockdown, and how we have adapted to

home-working, has altered many people’s vision of

how we live, work, socialise and the impact this has

on our planet.

I hope you find the articles in this edition interesting

and thought provoking.

If you have any questions, or would like to discuss

any article in more detail, we’d be delighted to hear

from you by emailing:

editor@grosvenor-magazine.co.uk

In the meantime, please stay safe and we will do

everything we can to support you, your vehicles

and your drivers.

GROSVENOR GROUP MAGAZINE - EDITION 4

CONTENTS

04 Grosvenor Leasing highly

commended at Fleet News awards

05 Lee Brown’s webinars

06 Equity release for drivers

choosing personal contract hire

FEATURE

Green agenda set to

gather pace in 2020

14

10

GROSVENOR

CHAIRMAN, BRIAN

JOHNSON, DIES

A fond farewell to a

trailblazer in the fleet

and automotive sector.

13

07 Flying the flag for the NHS

08 Supporting food supply to

the Homeless

09 Grosvenor Group directors show

support to furloughed staff

20

GROSVENOR

LEASING

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

HITS ALL-TIME HIGH

3



Grosvenor Leasing

highly commended

at Fleet News awards

Grosvenor Leasing was proud to have

won a highly commended award in this

year’s Fleet News award. The accolade

was presented for ‘Leasing company of

the year’ (under 20,000 vehicles) at a

gala dinner at the Grosvenor House hotel,

London in March.

The Fleet News awards remain the most high

profile in the sector, with accolades being

presented to fleet sector suppliers, vehicle

manufacturers and fleet managers.

More funding for on-street EV charge points

May 2020 saw the Government doubling the funding

available for on-street residential charge points to encourage

greener forms of travel as lockdown restrictions are lifted.

Transport secretary Grant Shapps said the Government will

commit a further £10 million to the scheme, allowing local

authorities to install up to 7,200 devices.

The funding had already doubled from £5m to £10m in January

2020 with this latest announcement raising the funding to £20m.


Lee Brown delivers webinar on Alternative Fuels

Lee Brown, Interactive Fleet Management’s finance director,

who also heads up 0Zone (the Grosvenor Group’s innovative

green solution) ran a webinar in May to help companies look

at the true financial implications of moving to an ultra-low

emission vehicle policy.

Many fleet managers and company directors are wondering

when the best time is to start offering their company car drivers

fully electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles, and Lee’s webinar gave a

frank and inciteful assessment.

Grosvenor will be running more webinars in the future – please

look out for information in our customer communications and

social media.

To request a video link to Lee’s webinar, please contact Zoe

Roseman Zoe.Roseman@grosvenor-leasing.co.uk

Trials of E-Scooters

brought forward

The trialling of e-scooters has been brought forward by

a year and began in June 2020 rather than 2021.

As part of a £2 billion investment in green travel solutions

e-scooters, which can travel at up to 15.5mph and are currently

banned on roads and pavements in the UK, will be explored to

make them safe for use on roads.

This includes a minimum age, vehicle standards and insurance

requirements. The review will also look at local authorities

and the power they may be given to manage the impact of

e-scooters on public space and parking.

5



Equity release for drivers choosing personal contract hire

Grosvenor Leasing has announced an equity release

scheme for drivers choosing its personal contract

hire (PCH) solution.

Drivers with a vehicle to sell can request a quotation

for Grosvenor to buy their existing vehicle, which

can then be used as a deposit against their new

PCH order.

For information, call our personal contract hire team

on 01536 536 666.

Association of Fleet

Professionals (AFP) launches

online applications

The Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) has launched

a new online membership application process.

The AFP, which was formed following the merger of the

Association of Car Fleet Operators (ACFO) and the Institute

of Car Fleet Management (ICFM) has launched its new

website, which now allows prospective members to apply for

membership online.

Paul Hollick, AFP co-chair, said: “This makes joining the AFP a

very easy process for any fleet decision makers or corporate

members that can be completed in a matter of minutes. At

a point in time such as now, when fleet expertise is vital for

organisations who want to contain costs and improve efficiency,

the support that we can provide is excellent value for money,

we believe.”


LOCKDOWN NEWS

Flying the flag for the NHS

In support and appreciation of the NHS, Croyland, the

Grosvenor Group’s used car megastore, changed its flags

to show how much they value their important work.

Croyland offers a wide range of carefully selected, and everchanging,

choice of quality, value used cars and vans.

This includes the very best 2, 3 and 4 year old cars and vans

from Grosvenor when they are returned at the end of their lease.

Automatic car for NHS worker

The team at Croyland, the Grosvenor Group’s used

car megastore, was pleased to have provided an

automatic vehicle to an NHS worker at Northampton

General Hospital.

She was struggling to get to work due to her own

vehicle being trapped at a repair centre, which had

closed due to the lockdown.

7



LOCKDOWN NEWS

25,000 gloves donated to Kettering General Hospital

York, Ward and Rowlatt, one of the Grosvenor Group’s vehicle

retail and aftercare outlets, donated 25,000 pairs of latex

gloves to Kettering General Hospital to help keep their very

courageous frontline doctors, nurses and assistants safe

while going about their crucial and commendable work.

Supporting food supply

to the Homeless

The lockdown has been a very difficult time for those most

in need and Grosvenor is delighted to be able to do its bit

in offering support to the ‘Safe until Daylight Centres’ in

Wellingborough and Kettering.

In Kettering, the charity is helping those who are homeless find

accommodation. They then continue to support them with food

donations as they adapt to life off the streets.

In Wellingborough, as well as helping the homeless, they also

run a food bank for low income families. This was sadly broken

into with £1000 of food being stolen and was a major set back.

Grosvenor is proud to be able to help, through donations and

support with weekly food drop offs.


MOT tests restart as

exemption period ends

The Government has announced that mandatory MOT tests

for cars, motorcycles and vans in England, Scotland and

Wales will be restarted from August 1.

Those vehicles due an MOT before August 1 will still receive a

six-month exemption.

Due to the coronavirus outbreak, vehicles were granted a sixmonth

exemption from MOT testing in March, however drivers of

vehicles that require an MOT certificate will need to book their

cars in to ensure they remain legal and roadworthy.

Grosvenor Group directors show support

to furloughed staff

The directors of the Grosvenor Group agreed

to reduce their salaries by 20% while staff were

furloughed.

The decision was taken as an act of solidarity, with

group CEO, Shaun Barritt and chairwoman, Nicola

Johnson, both feeling strongly that it’s an important

statement to the business that everyone should align

themselves to the new payment conditions during

lockdown.

All furloughed staff were paid 80% of their salary,

with the Group topping up the difference where staff

earned more than the Government’s £2500 cap.

It meant all directors and furloughed staff were treated

equally, and those staff continuing to work full-time

retained their normal pay.

9



FEATURE

GREEN AGENDA SET TO

GATHER PACE IN 2020

IF ANY GOOD CAN COME FROM THE GLOBAL LOCKDOWN,

IT’S THE POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT.

While we stayed inside, the environment began temporarily

changing with wild animals photographed roaming the

streets, images showing the water in Venice to be clear and,

in places like Punjab in India, city residents saying they can

now see the snow peaks of the Himalayas; a view that has

been blocked by air pollution for decades.

During lockdown, Paul Monks, professor of air pollution at

the University of Leicester said, “We are now, inadvertently,

conducting the largest-scale experiment ever seen. Are we

looking at what we might see in the future if we can move to a

low-carbon economy?”

But will this bring about a new social conscience and change

our attitude towards the environment permanently?

Lee Brown is the Grosvenor Group’s leading advisor on green

issues, and heads up the company’s 0Zone solution. 0Zone is

the innovative green solution that helps businesses with vehicle

fleets make the smooth transition to ultra-low emission

and electric vehicles.

Since its launch in 2017, 0Zone has helped many companies

reduce their emissions, an example being at Tata Steel where

plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles now make up almost 20%

of the vehicle fleet, the total annual carbon emissions has

reduced by 12.3% to 2040 tonnes, and the average CO2 is

down to 98.99 gsm/km, a movement of -11%.

As a result, their annual fuel costs have fallen by over

a quarter of a million pounds, a saving of 10.6%.


Most recently, the 0Zone proposition has been broadened

to cover three key areas associated with operating a greener

fleet. These are the environmental, financial and operational

implications, with Lee and his team working closely with

companies to find the optimum combination of all three.

“Moving to alternative fuels, and reducing emissions, isn’t as

simple as just adding EVs and plug in hybrids to your vehicle

choice list,” said Lee.

“There are ramifications across the business which need to be

carefully considered and analysed.

Lee Brown

Head of 0ZONE

MOVING TO ALTERNATIVE

FUELS, AND REDUCING

EMISSIONS, ISN’T AS SIMPLE

AS JUST ADDING EVS AND

PLUG IN HYBRIDS TO YOUR

VEHICLE CHOICE LIST.

“Take for example the financial impact. Electric vehicles generally

have a higher on the road cost, however a lower whole life cost,

and the true price forecasted across a number of years has to be

mapped out.

“There is also the tax position, for both company and driver, as

well as the operational implications.

“When Glenmorangie Whisky began striving towards a zeroemission

fleet policy, because their drivers travel in the Scottish

Highlands it can become more challenging in the winter months.

We therefore looked at 4x4 off-road options for some vehicles.

We also mapped out the availability of charging points in the

key locations where their drivers travelled, and the number of

servicing garages for ULEVs and EVs, before making our final

recommendations.

“Getting your company vehicle policy wrong may also restrict

where your drivers can travel. In some cities, higher emission

cars won’t be allowed into the clean air zones or will be charged

for entering. This has to be factored in from an operational

perspective when reaching decisions so that companies do not

find themselves ordering cars today that will be banned from key

areas during their time on fleet.

“Prior to lockdown, we were already having these sorts of

conversations with company directors and fleet managers, and

we had particularly good feedback from drivers at Weetabix

about their company car policy and future choices.

“Now that social awareness of the environment has never

been higher, I am certain we will see a real surge in businesses

looking more closely at implementing alternative fuel strategies

for their fleets.”

12.3%

Lee Brown is finance director of Interactive Fleet Management,

as well as heading up the Grosvenor Group’s 0Zone solution.

For more information about 0Zone, please call us on

01536 536 536.

At Tata Steel, plug-in hybrid and

electric vehicles now make up almost

20% of the vehicle fleet and the total

annual carbon emissions has reduced

by 12.3%

SOCIAL AWARENESS OF THE

ENVIRONMENT HAS NEVER

BEEN HIGHER

11



FEATURE

NEW VEHICLE LEAD TIMES MORE

DIFFICULT TO PREDICT

Car manufacturing plants re-opening post lockdown are

unlikely to return to pre-lockdown levels immediately, as

businesses accommodate the need for social distancing

measures.

Yet with dealers and manufacturers having a large amount of

stock, which accumulated during April (the worst month for new

vehicle sales in 70 years), companies placing orders now, and

accepting stock vehicles, could benefit from quick delivery times.

Once that stock is sold, however, we may see some long lead

times with factories operating at reduced capacity, which is why

businesses should plan their vehicle requirements carefully for

the year ahead, and place urgent orders sooner rather than later.

“Our new vehicle delivery teams and account managers will

therefore be working with customers to schedule orders, check

available stock versus manufacturer orders, and ensure the

continued mobility of their drivers.

“For many years, Grosvenor published a vehicle availability

guide, outlining the lead times for every make and model.

We will re-introduce this as soon as we gain some clarity

around post-lockdown vehicle supply, however at the moment

our advice is to talk to us about your vehicle plans for the

remainder of 2020 so that we can offer close assistance and

advice.”

This is the advice of Grosvenor’s purchasing director, James

Parnell, who anticipates a very difficult period in predicting

vehicle availability and lead times.

However, he is also advising both Grosvenor Leasing and

Interactive Fleet Management customers to talk to their account

managers in order to review their car choice lists

and formulate a plan that will enable the continued supply

of vehicles onto their fleets.

“We will be in very close dialogue with both the vehicle

manufacturers and our dealership network,” said James, “so

that we have the best possible picture of vehicle availability and

production plans.

“However, we are also inevitably entering a period where

companies and drivers may need to show some flexibility in their

choices, and potentially utilise Grosvenor’s in-house short-term

rental team to fill gaps or fulfil urgent vehicle requirements.

2020

Our advice is to talk to us about

your vehicle plans for the remainder

of 2020 so that we can offer close

assistance and advice.


FEATURE

GROSVENOR GROUP CHAIRMAN,

BRIAN JOHNSON:

A TRIBUTE TO A TRAILBLAZER

Brian Johnson,

1945 - 2020

Brian Johnson, the chairman and founder of The Grosvenor

Group, has died aged 74.

He passed away peacefully with his family around him at The

Wellington Hospital, London on the 18th February.

Born in 1945, Brian began his career in the motor industry as

a salesman for Croyland Motors in Wellingborough in 1967.

Following a time as managing director of Reliance Leasing, he

went on to establish Grosvenor Leasing in 1981, which has since

become the largest privately-owned contract hire and fleet

management company in the UK.

Over the years astute purchases of automotive companies

paved the way to develop The Grosvenor Group, which is now

recognised for well-known leading brands such as Grosvenor

Leasing, Interactive Fleet Management, York Ward and Rowlatt,

and Croyland Car Megastore.

The role of chairwoman has been taken by his daughter Nicky

Johnson, managing director of Interactive Fleet Management.

His son Richard continues in his role as managing director

of subsidiary companies Holmere Developments Ltd and

Croyland Rentals.

Shaun Barritt, the Grosvenor Group’s CEO, said, “For those of

you who knew Brian, he was an innovator and a trailblazer in

the automotive sector. He launched a number of industry firsts,

perhaps the best-known being the retailing of ex-contract hire

vehicles direct to the public rather than processing all ex-hires

through the auction houses – something that many other leasing

companies said couldn’t be done, but adopted soon afterwards.

“Brian led by example, never asking his staff to do anything that

he would not do himself, no matter how menial the task. He was

a true mentor who inspired others to achieve both their personal

and business aspirations.”

The business was a huge part of his life and both Nicola and

Richard are dedicated to continue this legacy in his memory.

“HE WAS A TRUE MENTOR WHO

INSPIRED OTHERS TO ACHIEVE

BOTH THEIR PERSONAL AND

BUSINESS ASPIRATIONS.”

13



FEATURE

A REWARDING EXPERIENCE THAT

WON’T COST THE EARTH

WHY SALARY SACRIFICE COULD

GROW IN POPULARITY FOR

ULTRA-LOW EMISSION VEHICLES

Salary sacrifice for company cars seemed to be a bit dead

in the water, yet it seems to be making a sudden resurgence.

The reason. Quite simply because we have entered into a

potentially unique bubble of time which looks set to span the

next 5 years or so when the financial benefits of Salary Sacrifice

look interesting again thanks to the Government’s hugely

attractive benefit in kind (BIK) rates on ultra-low emission and

electric vehicles. Effectively, anything under 50gsm/km CO2.

According to Jim Clark, group finance director of the Grosvenor

Group, if employees opt to sacrifice a part of their salary and,

instead, have a sub 50gsm/km company car, the financial

benefits for both employee and employer are looking particularly

strong.

Company A offers a choice of £25,000 cash or

£19,000 cash and a Nissan Leaf Accenta (P11d of

£29,790).

3 Year lease, 12,000 miles p/a with a rental of £310

(ex VAT) contract hire, £372 (Inc VAT) PCH

(both incl. maintenance).

SALARY SACRIFICE (WITH CAR)

Employee

Salary £19,000.00

Personal Tax -£1,300.00

National Insurance -£1,140.00

Benefit in Kind Tax (avg p/a for 3 yrs) -£60.00

Disposable income £16,500.00

NO SALARY SACRIFICE (NO CAR)

Employee

Salary £25,000.00

Personal Tax -£2,500.00

National Insurance -£1,860.00

Vehicle Lease Cost (Inc VAT, PCH) -£4,464.00

Insurance -£600.00

Disposable income £15,576.00

Saving Per Annum

Or a cost of £345 per month

£924.00

Employer

Salary £19,000.00

Employers NIC £1,409.00

Vat EFF Lease Cost (Contract Hire) £4,032.00

Class 1a NIC (avg p/a for 3 yrs) £41.40

Insurance £600.00

Total cost to employer £25,082.40

Employer

Salary £25,000.00

Employers NIC £2,237.00

Total cost to employer £27,237.00

Saving Per Annum

£2,154.60


This example shows that irrespective of other factors e.g.

student loans, driving history etc the employee is better off

taking the lower cash and the eco-conscious car, whilst the

employer is much better off too. A win for the employee, a

win for the employer and a win for the environment too.

The salary sacrifice concept involves employees taking a

reduced salary in return for a fully insured and maintained

“green” company car. Regardless of whether an employer

currently provides cars, this arrangement will enable the

employer to offer better benefit choice to all employees as

well as potentially improving its green credentials – all whilst

reducing cost to the company and its employees.

CONCEPT OUTLINE

Employee sacrfices salary

Employer provides new

fully serviced, insured and

maintained vehicle

Employee and potential

employer savings through tax,

NI and purchasing power

THE BENEFITS

REMUNERATION

RECRUITMENT

CORPORATE SOCIAL

RESPONSIBILITY

CORPORATE H&S

Increased benefits choice

at no extra cost

Overall enhancement to

the remuneration package

Recruit and retain the

right people

Increasing demand from

candidates for green

employer incentives

Green Credentials -

measurable impact on

employer carbon footprint

Management of vehicles

used for business purposes

to mitigate risk from

grey fleet & corporate

manslaughter

WHY IT MAKES SENSE

WHY NOW?

SALARY SACRIFICE DELIVERS

Company NI cost and tax relief based on CO2

emissions

Lower NI cost, tax relief and VAT recovery results in

significant savings for employees and employers

Corporate Social Responsibilty re climate change

Helps put greener and safer vehicles on the road

Easy, user friendly system support

Web based solution providing simple selection and

ordering showing “at a glance” costs and benefits

Concept now proven

With correct design - fantastic benefit at no cost

The benefit in kind rules, particularly for ULEVs, combined with

the employer’s purchasing power, and a scheme backed by

an established vehicle provider, result in significant savings

for employees, compared to financing the car privately, whilst

representing genuine cost savings for the company.

Grosvenor Leasing has a salary sacrifice scheme in place, and

interest is growing. For more information, why not call one of our

friendly team on 01536 536 536.

15



FEATURE

WHY COMPANIES SHOULD BE OFFERING

PERSONAL CONTRACT HIRE TO THEIR

EMPLOYEES

For businesses with company vehicles, speculation regarding

the decline, or rise, of the company car has been around for

years.

In the 90’s, a change in the benefit in kind (BIK) taxation system

caused many scaremongers to suggest the company car was

finally doomed, yet on it went!

Subsequent shifts in taxation have fuelled recurrent headlines

as to whether desire for the company car, seen as one of the

country’s best-loved employee benefits, recruitment tools and

job necessities, will rise or fall.

GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES

THAT PURE ELECTRIC VEHICLES

WILL ATTRACT ZERO BENEFIT IN

KIND IN YEAR ONE FOLLOWED BY

VERY LOW LEVELS THEREAFTER.

The recent WLTP debacle (world harmonized light-duty vehicles

test procedure) has been the latest ‘cat amongst the pigeons’.

As a result, some drivers have finally decided to call time on

their company car, and the BVRLA (British Vehicle Rental and

Leasing Association) has reported a 24% increase in demand for

personal contract hire.

Yet, just as one senses a shift away from company cars, the

Government announces that pure electric vehicles will attract

zero benefit in kind in year one, followed by very low levels

thereafter.

Back the ‘pendulum swings’ as some industry experts predict a

renewed resurgence in company-provided vehicles as drivers

take advantage of a tax-free electric vehicle (EV). Teslas are

popping up on our roads in greater numbers, alongside other all

electric models, and its precisely what the Government intended

as part of its carbon zero targets.

24%

Some drivers have finally decided to

call time on their company car, and

the BVRLA (British Vehicle Rental and

Leasing Association) has reported a

24% increase in demand for personal

contract hire


SO, WHAT SHOULD BUSINESSES DO?

According to Shaun Barritt, CEO of the Grosvenor Group, it’s time

to accept that there will always be an ebb and flow towards and

away-from the traditional company car, and businesses should

be in a position to support both.

“Rather than focus on whether company cars are here to stay or

not, businesses should change their viewpoint and look at how

best to support their ‘mobile workforce’,” said Shaun.

“If you take an individual driver, who needs to use a car at work,

whether they are in a company-provided vehicle or their own car,

they still need to get reliably from A to B and reflect a positive

image of the company by turning up in a car that is modern,

reliable and in good condition.

“Consequently, companies should have two schemes operating

side by side. A company car scheme and a personal leasing

scheme.

“The problem many companies have is that as drivers opt out

of the company scheme, taking cash in lieu of a car, employers

end up handing over an amount of money every month with no

control over how it is spent.

“It means this very special arrangement was two years in

the making, and of such importance that we’ve appointed a

dedicated team within Grosvenor to run our PCH offering,

operating from office space which has been co-branded

Grosvenor and Select Car Leasing.

“As a market leading corporate contract hire and fleet

management provider, we set our sights on developing an

equally market leading personal leasing proposition to cater for

the future needs of our customers and their drivers - either direct

to drivers or via more formal staff Affinity schemes. This includes

drivers’ families, partners and friends.

“Key personnel who are long-standing and highly talented fleet

funding and management specialists, have transferred from our

corporate business to run the new PCH division.

“They are on hand to advise customers, and drivers, on areas

such as cash for car options, taxation, vehicle choices, electric

vehicles and so on.

“It now means, irrespective of the twists and turns of company

car taxation, our customers can enjoy the peace of mind of wellrun

company and personal leased vehicles, which we see as the

perfect, flexible model for businesses moving forwards.”

For more information on corporate contract hire or personal

leasing, contact Grosvenor Leasing on 01536 536 536

EMPLOYERS END UP

HANDING OVER AN AMOUNT

OF MONEY EVERY MONTH

WITH NO CONTROL OVER

HOW IT IS SPENT

www.thegrosvenorgroup.co.uk

“BUSINESSES SHOULD CHANGE

THEIR VIEWPOINT AND LOOK AT

HOW BEST TO SUPPORT THEIR

MOBILE WORKFORCE”

“That money is clearly meant to be for the individual to fund a

vehicle that enables them to continue to do their job, yet it often

ends up being used for other things leaving the employee with a

vehicle that’s old, poorly maintained or not fit for purpose.

“A means of overcoming this is for companies to offer a strong

personal contract hire (PCH) scheme that replicates the benefits

of a company vehicle, with low deposits, maintenance cover,

road tax, and breakdown cover.

“By offering a well-promoted PCH solution, drivers will be more

inclined to use their monthly allowance to fund a new car. This

has advantages for ‘grey fleet management’, the term used for

drivers who use their own vehicle for business mileage, however

its always important to have robust processes in place.”

Towards the end of 2019, Grosvenor Leasing launched a

personal contract hire solution in partnership with Select Car

Leasing aimed at giving its corporate fleet customers greater

choice.

The PCH scheme enables companies to give their staff access to

a dedicated portal where they can enjoy the very best deals on

new cars, mimicking the benefits of a company car for the private

individual.

“We first opened dialogue with Select Car Leasing back in 2017

about combining our skills to formulate an industry-leading PCH

partnership,” continued Shaun.

Shaun Barritt

CEO Grosvenor Group

17



FEATURE

HAS THE ROLE OF THE COMPANY CAR

CHANGED FOREVER?

Changes to the role, and structure, of the traditional office

are being predicted by experts who see a new era of business

culture, post-lockdown.

According to Forbes, ‘Many companies have been resistant to

letting employees work from home, but this unexpected global

work-from-home experiment has forced companies to accept it

as a legitimate option. Companies have put greater technology

systems and support in place to facilitate mobile working’ and

‘they will expand the acceptability of remote work, and provide

more choice and flexibility to employees to work wherever they

can get their best work done, including away from the office’.

SOME EXPERTS ANTICIPATE

THAT OFFICES WILL

BECOME PLACES TO ‘COME

TOGETHER’ RATHER THAN

‘GO TO WORK’.

This puts into question what the traditional office will look like

in years to come and how it may also impact upon staff mobility

and travel, including the role of the company car.

Some experts anticipate that offices will become places to

‘come together’ rather than ‘go to work’.

An article in Open Access Government, a publication that

provides an in-depth perspective on key public policy from

around the world, suggests that the office will no longer be

desk dominated. Instead it will focus on event style knowledge

sharing, cultural refreshment, mentoring and networking.


Forbes agrees, stating that all the things employees love

about working at home, such as comfortable places to

relax between meetings, will create new demands on the

office. Organisations will have a new appreciation for the

importance of the office, the critical nature of face-to-face

interactions and the ways their workplaces must support

employees.

This could all mean we see more remote customer and prospect

meetings via the likes of Zoom and Teams. Yet with face-toface

contact and human interaction likely to remain part of

our business DNA, as well as being important for our mental

health and well-being, will we start meeting customers outside

of the office in safer, smaller groups? And will staggered and

more flexible working hours change the face of our traditional

commute?

BUSINESSES ARE ALSO

PREPARING FOR GREATER

SHIFT WORK IN CERTAIN

SECTORS TO REDUCE THE

NUMBERS OF PEOPLE AT

WORK AT ANY ONE TIME,

WITH STAGGERED START

AND END TIMES

Mary Dopson-Taylor

Customer Services Director

According to Mary Dopson-Taylor, customer services director

at Grosvenor Leasing, the ideas being muted for future working

practices are likely to have the biggest impact on business travel

we have ever witnessed.

“Companies we talk to are looking at a wide range of options,”

said Mary. “The main one is, of course, working from home for

those who do not need to be office-based, and many in the fleet

sector have already begun to ask whether this could have an

impact on how company cars are used if there is less travel and

fewer on site meetings.

“However, businesses are also preparing for greater shift work in

certain sectors to reduce the numbers of people at work at any

one time, staggered start and end times to moderate the mass

arrival and exit of people arriving at, and leaving, work and the

avoidance of public transport where possible.

“Interestingly, this could result in more people using their cars to

get from A to B, as it offers protected personal space to travel

in. We may also see less car sharing as people are anxious of

others joining them in a confined space, or can no longer travel

together because they work at different times of the day.

02

People will challenge the need to

drive long distances when they

can meet with a click of the mouse

– avoiding losing a day of work to

attend a 2 hour meeting.

“It could also see us moving to a model of ultra-low emission

and electric vehicles on lower mileages as conference calling

replaces a proportion of physical meetings – particularly those

that involve extensive travel.

“Now that we have grown accustomed to online meetings, many

people will challenge the need to drive long distances when

they can meet with a click of the mouse – avoiding losing a day

of work to attend a 2 hour meeting. And if conference calls are

replacing those longer distance meetings, the EV battery range

issues are suddenly less of a concern which, alongside other

incentives, could be the trigger that sparks a surge in EV uptake.

“The reality is, prior to COVID-19, we were moving towards

greater use of public transport, and the growth of car sharing

and ride hailing via Apps, to reduce the congestion on our roads

and help the environment.

“That’s likely to shift once again to a different model where

demand for alternative fuel cars rises, but the mileages they

cover each year comes down.”

19



FEATURE

GROSVENOR LEASING CUSTOMER

SATISFACTION HITS ALL-TIME HIGH

WITHIN THE 100% RATING, 70% OF CUSTOMERS

RANKED GROSVENOR AS ‘EXCELLENT’,

27% AS ‘GOOD’ AND 3% ‘SATISFACTORY’.

Customers of Grosvenor Leasing have awarded the contract

hire and fleet management specialist a 100% satisfaction

rating in the company’s latest customer satisfaction index

(CSI) survey.

Within the 100% rating, 70% of customers ranked Grosvenor

as ‘Excellent’, 27% as ‘Good’ and 3% ‘Satisfactory’.

It’s the highest rating the company has ever achieved in its

CSI, underpinning the investment made in its people, systems,

products and processes.

“We are delighted with these results,” said Grosvenor Group

chairwoman, Nicola Johnson. “We have a business model of

offering national capability with a personal touch, which means

we attract very major fleets thanks to our financial stability and

substantial fleet infrastructure, supported with an approach

where customers build long-term relationships with our staff

on first name terms with no call centres or voice mail queues.

100%

The highest rating the company has

ever achieved in its CSI


GROSVENOR RECENTLY

LAUNCHED A MAJOR

PERSONAL CONTRACT

HIRE (PCH) SOLUTION

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

SELECT CAR LEASING

IN ORDER TO SUPPORT

COMPANIES WHO ARE

SEEING DRIVERS MOVING

AWAY FROM COMPANY

VEHICLES.

“The balance works extremely well and enables us to deliver

exceptional service and support to both car and light commercial

vehicle drivers, while pro-actively working with fleet managers

to drive down costs, reduce downtime and make on-going

improvements to their overall fleet operation.”

Grosvenor Leasing customers benefit from many industryleading

innovations, such as 0Zone (the company’s awardwinning

green solution), its expert panel, OSCAR365, its online

fleet management system developed in-house by Grosvenor’s

software team, and OSCAR Go – the company’s App, also

developed in-house.

The company, which is the largest UK privately-owned contract

hire and fleet management provider, established in 1981, has also

recently launched a major personal contract hire (PCH) solution

in partnership with Select Car Leasing in order to support

companies who are seeing drivers moving away from company

vehicles.

According to Shaun Redhead, who heads up Grosvenor’s PCH

offering, a key priority is to raise awareness of why companies

need to consider personal leasing, with many fleet managers

stating currently that it isn’t something they see as important.

“In our customer satisfaction survey we asked the

question, ‘Data from the BVRLA (British Vehicle Rental

and Leasing Association) shows that Personal Contract

Hire (PCH) is growing significantly. How important is

personal leasing to you and your drivers?

“Interestingly, only 14% felt it was something that

was important to them as a business at the moment,

however almost a third seemed undecided, saying it

was ‘somewhat important’.

“We expect this to change dramatically in the years to

come. In the same way that the appetite for alternative

fuels was low a few years ago but is now growing

rapidly due to market conditions, we see the same

happening with PCH where companies will suddenly

begin to see why it’s important to offer a personal

leasing option alongside their company car scheme.

“Of the companies that ‘do’ see the advantages of offering a

PCH solution, the key reasons for doing so were very much in

line with market trends.

“When we asked companies what the main reason was for

offering personal leasing the top answer was, ‘We are seeing

drivers opting for ‘cash in lieu’ of company cars and we would

like to support them with a good quality PCH product’.

“The second highest reason in our survey was, ‘Drivers have

become very disenchanted with the company car due to the

WLTP BIK tax issues, and we would like to support them with a

PCH offering to step out of their company car (if they choose to)’.

“We can only see this trend continuing and our forecasts are that

corporate and personal leasing schemes will sit side-by-side in

the future as the ‘norm’ within businesses,” ended Shaun.

Shaun Redhead

Personal Leasing Consultant

21



FEATURE

GROSVENOR PARTNERS WITH FLEET SERVICE

GB TO OFFER A NEW LEVEL OF INTELLIGENT

RISK MANAGEMENT

The Grosvenor Group has appointed Fleet Service GB as

its risk management partner to deliver an all-encompassing

solution for driver wellbeing and safety.

The new relationship will see Grosvenor Leasing and Interactive

Fleet Management customers benefiting from a fully integrated

driver, vehicle and journey programme which delivers an ongoing,

comprehensive real-time risk record.

Using a driver points system, whether for a company or a

grey fleet vehicle, the solution called ‘Grosvenor Drive Care’

combines vehicle, driver, legal and health and safety compliance

into a single programme enabling companies with cars and light

commercial vehicles to manage risk more effectively and with

greater ease.

A FULLY INTEGRATED

DRIVER, VEHICLE AND

JOURNEY PROGRAMME

WHICH DELIVERS AN ON-

GOING, COMPREHENSIVE

REAL-TIME RISK RECORD


Compliance starts with drivers (including family members

if necessary) securing an Authority to Drive, whether a

company vehicle or a ‘grey fleet’ vehicle.

This includes an online driving licence check and endorsement

history. The technology also risk assesses all applicants using

agreed company parameters and compliance requirements,

which allows for bespoke e-learning training programmes, onthe-road

driver training and a unique driver well-being profile if

required.

Drive Care then unites all aspects of the vehicle and driver

management process - eligibility to drive, crash history, motoring

offences and any data collected via telematics and other onboard

vehicle technologies - to provide managers with a single

silo of live and dynamic data.

WE CHOSE FLEET SERVICE GB’S

SOLUTION BECAUSE IT’S A

SOPHISTICATED CONTINUOUS

DRIVER MANAGEMENT

PROGRAMME THAT USES THE

VERY LATEST IT FUNCTIONALITY

“Driver influenced costs are the single largest drain on a

company’s in-life fleet vehicle expenditure, which highlights the

importance of integrating every aspect of drivers’ performance

into a comprehensive real-time risk record,” explained

Steve Beadle, senior account manager for Interactive Fleet

Management who has been working with Fleet Service GB to

launch the new partnership with the Grosvenor Group.

“We chose Fleet Service GB’s solution because it’s a

sophisticated continuous driver management programme that

uses the very latest IT functionality to compile a driver risk profile

delivering analysis and action prompts.

“It therefore continuously records and measures both individual

driver compliance, licence checking and driver performance

via a points process to compile a real-time driver history taking

into account all key data to produce a ‘drive safe, stay safe’

employee mentality.”

PROVIDING A DYNAMIC,

VISIBLE PROFILE ON AN

INDIVIDUAL DRIVER BASIS

OF ALL ASPECTS OF

WORK-RELATED DRIVING

WILL BRING ABOUT A

CULTURE CHANGE.

Steve Beadle, Senior Account Manager,

Interactive Fleet Management

Marcus Bray, head of sales at Fleet Service GB added, “Our

programme delivers a complete driver history and automatically

produces notifications, prompts and reminders for all required

events.

“It will note and score responses and inform non-compliance

to agreed management levels. The programme includes a

range of interventions and targeted driver training.

“Providing a dynamic, visible profile on an individual driver

basis of all aspects of work-related driving will bring about a

culture change. This permanently affects driving attitude and

performance delivering health and safety compliance as well

as improved fleet operating efficiency with fewer ‘lost’ man

hours, reduced ‘bent metal’ costs, improved fuel economy due

to drivers adopting a smoother driving style and increased

customer satisfaction.”

For more information, call Steve Beadle on 01536 536 536.

23



FEATURE

WEETABIX MOVES TO A LOWER

EMISSION VEHICLE POLICY BASED

ON WHOLE LIFE COSTS

Since 1932 Weetabix has been a well-known and much-loved

brand. Millions of households across the world enjoy their

great tasting and nutritious cereals which include favourites

such as Weetabix, Alpen, Ready Brek and Weetos.

Grosvenor Leasing’s relationship began with them in 2017 when

the contract hire and fleet management specialist agreed to buy

Weetabix’s 150 strong ‘owned’ fleet of cars and light commercial

vehicles as part of a sale and leaseback.

This converted the fleet to a fully maintained contract hire

agreement, offering Weetabix a wide range of benefits including

improved cash flow, better budgeting and a comprehensive

outsourced fleet management solution.

Drivers were immediately able to access a wide range of

services and support, from servicing, maintenance and repairs

through to accident management, daily rental, fast-fit items and

European travel – all monitored, measured and reported on

thanks to OSCAR365; Grosvenor’s market-leading, and awardwinning

online fleet management system.

By 2020, Weetabix was looking at ways of improving its vehicle

policy, to offer drivers better choice and move towards ultralow

emission and electric vehicles. Keen that all changes

were fully communicated, Weetabix asked Grosvenor to run a

video conference workshop with 50 Weetabix drivers during

the COVID-19 lockdown. This resulted in the new policy being

successfully launched based on whole life costs, improved

choice and lower emissions.


“The relationship with Grosvenor Leasing has been

very beneficial to us financially and operationally,”

said Stuart Branch, group people & IT director at

Weetabix.

“We have also been impressed with their support

around our fleet policy and choice lists, and the

feedback from drivers following the workshop was

extremely positive. By being on hand to present

the thinking behind the policy, the impact on areas

such as emissions and tax, why whole life costs

are important, and being able to answer all of our

drivers’ questions was important in launching our

new policy.”

Mary Dopson-Taylor, customer services director

at Grosvenor Leasing, added, “As, in the case of

Weetabix, companies move to adopt alternative

fuels we are encouraging them to look at whole

life costs for their policies as it provides a far better

reflection of the true financial picture for ultra-low

emission and electric vehicles.

50

Weetabix asked Grosvenor to run a

video conference workshop with 50

Weetabix drivers during the COVID-19

lockdown.

“Their initial on road cost is typically higher than traditional

petrol or diesel cars, but during their entire time on fleet they

work out to be more cost-effective, which is why whole life

costs provide a more realistic financial assessment to base

decisions on.”

25



SOCIAL DISTANCING

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

REGARDING COVID-19

info-cir

Social distancing measures,

Grosvenor Offices

SAFE HYGIENE AND DISTANCING MEASURES ARE IN PLACE

AT OUR OFFICE, FOR ALL STAFF AND ESSENTIAL VISITORS.

VISITS TO THE GROSVENOR GROUP

We are promoting online meetings at all times, however if

a visit is deemed essential we take everyone’s safety and

wellbeing extremely seriously.

• All visitors check in electronically and have their

temperature taken

• Everyone entering and leaving the building is asked to use

the hand sanitiser available by the main door

• Clear signage in reception, and on the floor, promote safe

distancing and hygiene

• The seating area has been removed from reception to

ensure social distancing is adhered to

VEHICLE DELIVERY

At the Grosvenor Group we have adapted our vehicle delivery

process to ensure we practice safe distancing and hygiene

rules at all times for Grosvenor Leasing and Interactive Fleet

Management customers, and their drivers.

We have a short video in the ‘Safe Distancing COVID-19’ section

of our web site which explains our safe delivery procedure to

give customers every reassurance that they can take delivery

of vehicles with complete peace of mind.

We thank you for your cooperation,

If you are visiting our offices, please advise us in advance if

you or anyone you have been in contact with has displayed

symptoms of COVID-19.


THANK

YOU

FOR READING OUR GROUP MAGAZINE,

AND IF YOU HAVE ANY REQUIREMENTS

OR QUESTIONS WE WOULD BE DELIGHTED

TO HEAR FROM YOU ON 01536 536 536.

As a Group, our overall proposition uniquely combines two

distinct offerings.

With Grosvenor Leasing, customers enjoy an award-winning

contract hire specialist providing all forms of vehicle funding

and outstanding client and driver support.

Interactive Fleet Management is a fleet management specialist

dedicated purely to managing fleets. Irrespective of funding

method, it’s best described as ‘your very own’ fleet department,

managing all vehicles, drivers and suppliers whether you

contract hire or own your vehicles.

Many leasing customers choose a combination of both. This

results in a holistic approach whereby the Interactive Fleet

Management team manages everything for you, with Grosvenor

Leasing providing the contract hire.

But there are other unique aspects to the Grosvenor Group’s

proposition too.

0ZONE

0Zone is our award winning, and unique, solution to help

companies navigate their way smoothly towards ultra-low

emission and electric vehicles.

PANEL OF EXPERTS

For key issues such as compliance, CO2, taxation, legal,

technical, policy, health and safety and many others, we

have an expert panel which is just a phone call, email or

LinkedIn message away from answering any question a

customer may have.

TECHNOLOGY

Offering what many believe is the most sophisticated

suite of fleet technology available in the fleet sector, our ongoing

investment and in-house development are producing

industry-leading systems and Apps that are complimentary

to all customers.

OUR SERVICES

Contract Hire of cars – with or without maintenance

Contract Hire of vans or bespoke LCVs

Full Outsourced Driver Services

Management of Client Owned Fleet

Management of Third Party Lease Providers

Pay as You Go Maintenance Management

Accident Management

Short Term Rental

Grey Fleet Management

Driving Licence Checks

Risk Management

MID Updates

Impartial Fleet Consultancy Service

Online Access to OSCAR365 for comprehensive

reporting

Personal Contract Hire

Salary Sacrifice

27

www.thegrosvenorgroup.co.uk

T: 01536 536 536


T: 01536 536 590


editor@grosvenor-magazine.co.uk

Balmoral House, Kettering Venture Park, Kettering, NN15 6XU

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