Toyotas Top Seller With Carlsberg-Tetley
Toyota cars are proving the number one choice among employees of one of the UK’s biggest brewers, Carlsberg-Tetley, with the Toyota Avensis currently the top choice among managers in the field.
The company has been offering staff the chance to contract-purchase their own cars under an eco-scheme operated since the end of 2002 by its fleet management partner LeasePlan. In May this year Toyota was selected as one of the three preferred brands for the 550 Carlsberg-Tetley sales staff who qualify for company cars, the others being Vauxhall and Renault.
“We like the range Toyota offers,” said Carlsberg-Tetley HR Specialist Julian Daley, who co-ordinates the scheme. “With the employee car-ownership scheme it’s up to staff to decide which car they want to go for, and with Toyota they have a positive choice, everything from a Yaris right up to a Land Cruiser. It’s probably one of the most extensive ranges there is. Drivers have been particularly impressed by the new Toyota Avensis.
“Generally it seems that drivers like the specs at the price they’re paying – there are quite a few items that are standard on the Avensis but not on cars from other manufacturers.” Equipment such as satellite navigation is one of the features that is proving attractive. Apart from Avensis, orders have also been taken for some Corolla, Celica and RAV4 models.
The company’s staff cover an average 25-30,000 miles a year and are acquiring their cars on two, three and four-year replacement cycles. “We’ve run a couple of open days for the staff and Toyota Fleet have been very helpful in bringing cars along to demonstrate to the drivers,” said Julian Daley.
Carlsberg-Tetley is the fourth largest brewer in the UK and employs 2,800 people. Based in Leeds, it has breweries there and in Northampton, with nine distribution depots across the country.
Its products include Carlsberg, Skol and Tuborg lagers and Tetley’s ales and the company also distributes a full range of drinks, including wines, for the on-licence trade.
The LeasePlan Group operates a UK fleet of more than 132,000 vehicles and is a leading provider of corporate vehicle funding and fleet-management solutions.
“We were gratified that Carlsberg-Tetley included Toyota as part of its triple-badge policy, and even more to find that current demand for our cars among its employees is so positive,” said Jon Pollock, general manager of Toyota Fleet. “Our range does offer great breadth of choice, and with high spec levels coupled with competitive pricing, cars such as the Avensis are looking increasingly attractive to drivers.”
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