LEEDS-based Zenith Vehicle Contracts, one of the UK's largest independent vehicle leasing companies, has reported record annual profits. For the year to March 31, profits before tax rose by more than 20% to £1.8m on sales of £35m, up 21%.

This compares with profits last year of £1.5m on sales of £28.9m. Chairman Henry Dean said the company's increased profitability resulted from strong organic growth coupled with a focus on productivity improvements. The total number of vehicles managed by the company has risen to more than 10,000 over the past year.