Celebrations for firm with drive

It all began in 1983, with just four vans. A quarter of a century later, Shropshire-based Burnt Tree is a £35 million business and the market leader offering the most comprehensive range of rental and contract hire vehicles.

It now operates more than 8,000 vehicles from 16 locations across the country with its new head office based at Battlefield Enterprise Park in Shrewsbury.

This month the company celebrates 25 years in business with a number of special events planned for 2008 as well as fundraising activities to ensure the community benefits from its celebrations.

Shropshire has had an important role to play in the growth of the company. Shrewsbury was the group's second branch to open in 1986, followed by Dawley in Telford three years later and the county has remained an important base for Burnt Tree ever since.

Chief executive Richard Metcalfe said there had been numerous changes in the automotive industry since 1983, when the company began in Tipton in the West Midlands at a site next to the Burnt Tree island – hence the company name.

He said one of Burnt Tree's original selling points was the fact that all vans came with radios, a "real bonus" and something of a rarity for van drivers 25 years ago.

"What really stands out when you look back at the group's history was the willingness and flexibility of founders Keith Ashworth and Bill Thomas to bring customers what they wanted.

"The opening of Telford is a great example of this as it marked Burnt Tree's first steps into the heavy goods vehicle sector. It's this agility and enthusiasm which has been passed on through the years."

Today Burnt Tree is one of the few rental providers which offers a diverse range of vehicles from small cars right through to 44 tonne tractor units. It also has specialist operations for welfare vehicles, fleet sales, fleet manage- ment, contract hire and vehicle tracking.

As well as supplying self drive rental and contract hire, Burnt Tree can also manage company fleets, provide vehicle tracking and also sells ex-fleet vehicles.

A multi-million pound deal between the company and Vauxhall Commercial Vehicles will see the business take 2,370 new Vauxhalls into its fleet during 2008.

It's a significant part of the £65 million the Burnt Tree Group will spend this year alone on increasing the size and scope of its fleet, bringing the total invested in fleet growth and modernisation to more than £130 million in the last two years.

Mr Metcalfe said the deal cemented a long-standing partnership with Vauxhall.

"From our point of view Vauxhall is an excellent company to partner with. We share strong values around the importance of delivering the highest standards of customer service and their quality, delivery, after-sales, technical support and account management skills are first class."

The vehicles – Combo and Vivaro vans and Corsa, Astra and Vectra cars – will make up more than a quarter of the Burnt Tree rental fleet.

The company kicked off 2008 with a number of branch openings and relocations in the South East, North West, and West Yorkshire and the group opened its first branch in the South East, near Dartford.

Mr Metcalfe added: "Extending our branch network with quality premises is a key target for us in 2008. The opening of our first location in the South East is highly significant and clearly demonstrates how serious we are about taking the Burnt Tree to the next level.

"We won't just be opening as many branches as physically possible though, getting the right people to staff them and the right premises is just as important in order to maintain our reputation for good levels of customer service."

Employing the right people has always been the ethos at Burnt Tree which encourages staff to volunteer for projects in the community and the company itself sponsors a vehicle used by police community support officers in Shrewsbury.