Vehicle refurbishment firm creating 40 Livingston jobs

Vehicle refurbishment specialist Smart Fleet Solutions is investing £2.5 million at its technical centre in Livingston in a move that will create 40 jobs.

Smart Fleet Solutions is expanding capacity at its Livingston site. Picture: John Macdougall/AFP/Getty Images

The site, which takes in ex-fleet vehicles and carries out inspections and repairs to prepare them for sale, will see its capacity double to 400 vehicles a week under the expansion. The work will include redevelopment of the existing vehicle inspection building and workshop and development of a new repair facility, along with construction of office accommodation and staff facilities.

Scheduled for completion by the end of March 2018, the redevelopment of the 15-acre site will create 40 additional jobs including a number of skilled technicians.

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Smart Fleet Solutions works with major fleet operators, rental companies and vehicle manufacturers to maximise the value of vehicles being “de-fleeted” by reducing refurbishment costs and times.

Theo Kortland, managing director, said: “Our technical centre in Livingston is important because it enables us to meet the needs of fleet operators in Scotland locally, which shortens cycle times and reduces the environmental impact of the de-fleeting process because vehicles don’t need to be transported large distances.”

He added that redevelopment of the site is part of the firm’s ongoing investment across all its operations.

“The work will include installation of the most up-to-date facilities and the latest equipment, supported by our bespoke technology and the very best people in the business.”

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The company operates four state-of-the-art technical centres across the UK including sites in Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire and Wiltshire and employs around 400.

The business is part of Greenhous Group, which has an annual turnover of more than £700m. Founded in 1912, Greenhous runs 16 franchised dealership sites in the West Midlands area, covering both cars and commercial vehicles. The group sells some 100,000 vehicles every year.

Strong growth in the fleet market saw the UK new car market achieve record sales in 2016, with annual registrations climbing for the fifth year in a row to almost 2.7 million.

Fleets accounted for most of the growth, with demand reaching a record 1.38 million units, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders. Some 1.4 million cars were sold in the first half of this year, down 1.3 per cent on the same period in 2016.

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