KWIK-FIT Fleet has announced plans to increase its European fleet business, with France, Germany and Holland identified as key areas for growth.

Executives at the company, sold last year to CVC Capital Partners, recently met with a number of pan-European contract hire and leasing companies to discuss opportunities.

These include ALD Automotive, Arval PHH, GE Capital Fleet Services, GMAC, Hertz Lease, HSBC, ING Car Lease and LeasePlan.

Kwik-Fit Fleet said that historically fleets and company car drivers in Europe preferred to use dealers ahead of fast-fit companies for the repair and replacement of tyres, exhausts, batteries and brakes.

It said its businesses in France, Germany and Holland all reported year-on-year growth with some centres more than doubling their business.

A spokesman said: 'Business is growing from pan-European fleets with whom we already have a relationship but also from fleets at a local level opting to use our outlets because of the quality of service and products we provide.

'By working with contract hire and leasing companies on a European basis we can leverage our business much more and dramatically increase our market shares in each of the three countries we have targeted.'