Supply chain management specialist Fleet Assist has strengthened its technical authorisation team to meet growing demand for its services from the nation's major contract hire and leasing companies.

The company supplies a wide range of services, including service, maintenance and repair (SMR) work authorisation, to more than half of the UK's top 50 contract hire and leasing companies collectively operating more than 700,000 vehicles.

The Cambridgeshire-based company, which manages SMR work through a nationwide network of more than 8,000 service outlets, has promoted Mark Bruce to lead the authorisation team as technical services manager. A qualified vehicle technician and former workshop manager, he also worked as a maintenance control manager for vehicle leasing companies before joining Fleet Assist five years ago.

Joining Fleet Assist is Ben Blomley, a qualified master technician through the Institute of the Motor Industry's Automotive Technician Accreditation scheme. Blomley's practical experience in the working garage environment will add to the team's expertise as he becomes technical services controller.

Stephen Polhill, who joined Fleet Assist in January 2011 in the service booking team before moving to the rental and network management teams. He completes the team as a technical services controller.

Martin Brown, operations manager at Marshall Leasing, said: 'The huge amount of experience and expertise that Fleet Assist possesses makes the company a clear leader in this field.

'As a long standing client, when we had an urgent need for maintenance authorisation support I had no concerns in asking for Fleet Assist's help and wouldn't hesitate to do so again. The company reacted rapidly and was fully set up and running in days and subsequently there was no noticeable impact on service and full control of costs were sustained'

Vincent St Claire, commercial director at Fleet Assist, said: 'We have strengthened our technical authorisation team to meet the increasing volume of work being undertaken on behalf of contract hire and leasing companies. This service is scalable which has been demonstrated by both the volumes and duration of support we have provided to customers'