VAUXHALL is gearing up for a major increase in leasing business with the recruitment of a new leasing chief and an industry-leading initiative which sees customer support manager implants at 16 of the UK's largest contract hire companies.

manufacturer liaison at Lex Vehicle Leasing, joins Vauxhall next Friday and will have responsibility for Vauxhall's leasing operations and the management of both field and office-based support teams. Simultaneously Vauxhall has increased its field staff by 25% and its eight-strong support team is to be further boosted with the recruitment of customer support managers.

Twelve of the UK's largest leasing companies have so far agreed to have Vauxhall implants - Dial Contracts, Avis Fleet Services, Lex Vehicle Leasing, Cowie Interleasing, Lease Plan, Autolease, PHH Vehicle Management Services, Hertz Leasing, Appleyard Vehicle Contracts, Highway Vehicle Leasing, ACL, Mann Egerton Vehicle Contracts and Swan National - with a further three leasing companies yet to be announced.

The new leasing set-up is totally independent to Leamington Spa-based Vauxhall Master Hire which is essentially a dealer-based leasing operation through Vauxhall's 320-strong network of business centres.