Prohire invests £5 million in Rental Fleet

Prohire fleet

Prohire, a leading provider of sustainable commercial vehicle hire and fleet management solutions, is investing £5 million in 70 new vehicles to refresh its 400-strong Proflex national rental fleet.

The investment in the latest specification equipment from DAF, Iveco and Mercedes Benz comprises all key asset classes from 3.5 tonne integral vans to 7.5 and 18 tonne dry freight. Alongside 18 tonne and 26 tonne single and multi-temperature refrigerated vehicles.

The new additions, which represent a 17.5 per cent replenishment of Prohire’s rental fleet, will join the full range of light and heavy commercial vehicles available, including commercial vans, rigids, tractors units, trailers, alternative fuel vehicles and double deck trailers.

John Robinson, chief commercial officer at Prohire said: “We’re dedicated to operating a modern, highly specified, diverse rental fleet to support the flexible fleet requirements of our customers. This investment shows our commitment to supporting customers and fleet operators throughout the UK and is a precursor for future rental fleet procurement.

“In line with our ESG commitments, these latest specification vehicles are more fuel efficient, and we have also added more electric vehicles into our rental fleet in line with our commitment to lead the charge as the UK’s most trusted provider of sustainable vehicle hire. This allows customers to try EVs in the short term to ensure they meet their needs before making a longer-term commitment.”

The new vehicles have been fitted with Geotab telematics which provide remote fault diagnosis, tracking, accident detention and driver behaviour analysis. The telematics also allow Prohire, and its alternative fuels division Progreen, to monitor the vehicles, deliver optimum performance, prevent critical failure, and report on CO2 savings.

The rental fleet is available to customers nationwide via its depots in Stoke-on-Trent and Tunbridge Wells. Each vehicle comes with 24/7 support 365 days a year and can be provided on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.

Ashley Bourne, Prohire’s depot operations manager in Tunbridge Wells, said: “Flexibility is at the heart of our rental offering, allowing our customers to vary fleet mix to meet peak demand. It’s essential in supporting the needs of our lease customers in the short, medium and long term through the provision of a wide range of vehicle specifications.”

Prohire’s depot operations manager in Stoke-on-Trent, Jonathon Cook, added: “Rental is crucial to our service offering. As the fleet partner of choice for our customers, our rental fleet underpins the high level of service that our customers expect from us.”

Prohire appoints Dean Bailey as Operations Director

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Prohire, a leading provider of commercial vehicle hire and fleet management solutions, has further strengthened its senior management team with the appointment of Dean Bailey as operations director.

A trained technician with almost 40 years’ fleet industry experience, Dean brings a wealth of knowledge to the business having held senior operational leadership roles at Ryder and, more recently, Hexagon Leasing.

Dean will have overall board responsibility for the maintenance of Prohire’s fleet, which includes vehicles from its alternative fuels division Progreen. Tasked with the ongoing development of Prohire’s service, maintenance and repair (SMR) network, Dean’s management remit encompasses the company’s Vehicle Maintenance Units (VMUs) in Stoke-on-Trent and Tunbridge Wells, as well as its fleet of mobile technicians which services customers nationwide. Dean will also be responsible for fleet engineering and all aspects of fleet compliance.

Speaking about his new role, Dean said: “I’m genuinely excited about joining Prohire, a company with a wide-ranging fleet, touching every part of the industry and serving a diverse range of customers. I’ve been in this industry for almost 40 years and it’s great to come to a company that’s thinking outside the box, proactively pushing the boundaries of service delivery and going the extra mile to support customers.

“I’m looking forward to what the future brings, especially in the area of alternative fuels, which Prohire has embraced through Progreen.”

Jay Edwards, managing director of Prohire, said: “Dean is a commercial vehicle contract hire industry veteran with a vast amount of experience. His knowledge and expertise will be invaluable to Prohire as we move forwards and continue to optimise our service delivery, and I’m delighted to welcome him to the team.”   

 

Prohire appoints Susan Shardlow as Chief Financial Officer

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With 30 years’ experience working for both corporate and private equity-backed organisations, Susan will play a key role in Prohire’s growth strategy. A qualified accountant, Susan has a broad range of experience leading traditional finance functions and transformational projects, particularly in companies providing the rental and leasing of assets in the construction, utilities and recycling systems sectors

Most recently, Susan held the role of interim CFO at Taziker, a multi-discipline specialist contractor, providing protective coatings, structural refurbishments and strengthening throughout the UK. Susan is a non-executive director for Hanley Economic Building Society and was a board member and chair of audit for the Staffordshire Housing Group for over nine years.

Susan Shardlow, CFO at Prohire, said: “Prohire is a growing business with an exciting future, and I’m delighted to join the team on a permanent basis. Prohire puts the customer at the heart of everything it does and is committed to continuous improvement, a culture which is proudly supported by the finance function.

“I applaud Prohire’s commitment to sustainability for its customers as well as within its own business through its ESG strategy. I’m looking forward to helping Prohire, and its EV and alternative fuels division Progreen, continue to scale through a structured approach which adds value to every area of the business.”   

Jay Edwards, managing director at Prohire, said: “Susan brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to Prohire, particularly financial and operational expertise gained at private equity-backed companies with ambitious growth objectives. I’m delighted that she has become a permanent member of the team as we continue in our mission to lead the charge in sustainable vehicle hire.”

In 2021, Prohire launched its sustainable vehicle hire and alternative fuels division Progreen to support its customers in achieving their Net Zero ambitions by decarbonising fleets via the deployment of high-performing, reliable, zero-emission vehicle technology. By the end of March 2024, 26 percent of new vehicles deployed by Prohire featured an alternative technology.