Fuel card firm, Fuelmate, has moved into a specially-created office complex to facilitate expansion.

The business, which is part of the J.R. Rix & Sons Ltd group, is recruiting three telesales operators and a field rep as it seeks to capitalise on firms looking to cut fuel costs in the continuing recession.

It has moved into the former body repair shop of car retailer Jordans on Spyvee Street in Hull, adjacent to its current base, which has undergone a £150,000 conversion into state-of-the-art offices.

The work adds a total of 1,800sqft to the existing Rix headquarters and will house a team of 16 Fuelmate staff once all appointments have been made.

Johnny Vintis, manager of Fuelmate, said the expansion was overdue as the Fuelmate team had been growing over recent months.

The company had previously used offices in Rix’s main building, also on Spyvee Street, as its base.

Mr Vintis said: “Fuelmate has been steadily growing for the past four years and while having office space in Rix’s main building has provided a good start, it is not an ideal long term solution.

“We thought about moving entirely but decided because there are synergies between us and other companies in the group, particularly Rix Petroleum, it made more sense to stay where we are.

“So instead Rix decided to utilise the old Jordan body shop, which has been used purely for storage for years, and turn it into office space.

“It is working out fantastically well. Work is 95 per cent finished and we have just about completed the move. It means there is plenty of space for the newcomers, which we are just in the process of recruiting.”