WORLDWIDE textiles and clothing manufacturer Coats Viyella has started to adopt a pan-European approach to its fleet policy.

The company has just signed a new long-term leasing agreement in Portugal through the European Fleet Funding and Management (EFFAM) partnership, building on its relationship with EFFAM's UK partner HSBC Vehicle Finance.

Susan White, fleet manager for Coats Viyella's 1,100 UK vehicle fleet, said: 'The EFFAM agreement is part of Coats Viyella's plan to institute a common human resource policy for cars across Europe. We want to go pan-European, and this is a toe in the water operation to gain some initial experience.'

She placed the order with HSBC Vehicle Finance which processed it through to EFFAM's Portuguese partner Multirent SA. The new Portuguese arrangement includes a move to full service leasing which is important from a human resource perspective because it has given Coats Viyella's drivers a much wider choice of vehicle. (April 2000)