PARAGON Group expects to double the size of its contract hire business this year following the merger of Paragon Car Finance with Paragon Contract Hire. It's a move that will result in a much wider service being offered to fleets, says new managing director Pawan Pandya. His role has been expanded to take control of the operations of Paragon Vehicle Contracts whose managing director, Richard Koster, has become marketing director for parent company Paragon Group.

Most fleet business was dealt with by Paragon Vehicle Contracts, which had a 3,000-vehicle contract hire fleet, but Pandya believes that merging the two companies brings benefits for fleet customers. 'Paragon Vehicle Contracts offered contract hire and dealt direct with the corporate market while Paragon Car Finance sold through the dealer market, with a network of about 1,200 dealers, and its customers were mainly private buyers. Contract hire is just another form of car finance and joining the two operations means we can offer different services right across the customer portfolio in one business.'