Arval’s global growth
- Arval UK grew by more than 8% to end the year with more than 160,000 vehicles leased
- Broke through 1 million vehicle global threshold in November
- Arval fleet of leased vehicles totalled 1,028,142 at end of the year (up 8.4% on 2015 at constant perimeter and exchange rate)
- Arval now present in 28 countries, following its acquisition of Relsa in Brazil and its alliance with the same group in Peru and Chile.
- 326,150 vehicles were ordered by Arval in 2016 (24% more than in 2015), and the company sold 248,914 vehicles (up 27%)
- Completed Europe-wide integration programme of GE Fleet Services, acquired by Arval at the end of 2015, covering more than 160,000 vehicles in 12 countries.
- Increased cooperation with the BNP Paribas Group retail banking networks International Business Office for the largest international clients, and SME Solutions, serving self-employed and small company customers, were prime drivers of growth in 2016.
BROKERS were key to Arval UK growth as it strengthened its market position during 2016, with fleet growth of 8% to top 160,000 leased vehicles for the first time and rank in the FN50 top three vehicle leasing companies.
The UK growth was a key part of Arval’s strengthening role globally in 2016, highlighted by passing the milestone of one million leased vehicles worldwide in November.
Growth spanned all segments, from large corporates with more than 1,000 vehicles through to SME’s with just one.
Significant business wins and outstanding retention performance bolstered the corporate fleet, while SME continued to be an area of strength.
Growth in the SME segments came through a combination of direct and indirect business, as broker, dealer and partnership channels all made an important contribution.
This was achieved alongside the integration of the GE Capital Fleet Services business.
Throughout the year processes and products were aligned, systems migration allowed Arval to move customers and their drivers on to a single leasing platform, and all customers are now supported by Arval’s award-winning account team structure.
At the heart of the strategy was a focus on customer service which boosted customer satisfaction, something that Arval measures through Net Promoter Score (NPS).
Customers were also able to benefit from a number of unique products, including an insured lease vehicle package called Arval Total Care, Arval Active Link which is a bespoke telematics solution built by Arval, Mid-Term Rental which allows customers to flexibly meet vehicle requirements between one and 24 months, and a re-launched Accident Management solution.
On the world scene the continued growth consolidated its global status as a key industry stakeholder. while it also consolidated leadership in the European multibrand leasing market. “2016 was a tremendous year for Arval,” says Arval CEO Philippe Bismut.
“The millionth vehicle marked a clear turning point in the history of our company. It symbolises the success of our strategy and the unfailing commitment shown by our people.”
Benoit Dilly, general manager of Arval UK, comments: “2016 was another very good year for Arval in the UK, mirroring the excellent performance of the Arval Group. We were able to successfully combine the integration of the GE Fleet business with strong organic growth across all segments and pleasing customer satisfaction scores.
“Our ongoing focus on supporting our customers by developing our employees and providing unique and effective products and services really paid off, cementing our position as a leading player within the UK.”
Looking ahead, Bismut said: “We will succeed by extracting maximum advantage from digital and communication technologies as the basis for seizing new opportunities, such as leasing for private individuals, car sharing and innovative fleet management solutions, linked to the evolution of our industry.”
