REG Vardy has appointed former Arnold Clark Contract Hire general manager Denis Keenan to spearhead its foray into dealer-based contract hire. Keenan is aiming to have the new operation - Vardy Contract Motoring - up and running throughout the dealer group's 41 outlets within nine months.

The Vardy group already has a fleet of around 2,000 vehicles on various forms of contract finance but the new company is aiming to increase the fleet to around 15,000 vehicles by the turn of the century. Initially, the company will target smaller to medium business users, but in the longer term, larger fleet and an increasing amount of personal leasing business is anticipated.

Attached to Reg Vardy (Financial Services), the contract motoring division will have direct computer links to all dealerships so customers can be supplied with comprehensive costings of all our available products at the press of a key.