Premium car service, Addison Lee, announced in September that it is acquiring the car service booking and management platform Tandem from Transdev, to expand and enhance its services for business customers in New York City.
Tandem provides car service booking and management software to corporate customers in New York. The company’s acquisition will assist Addison Lee in launching its branded premium service to New York business customers with a dedicated fleet, award-winning digital booking channels and customer service operations.
The Tandem Technologies platform in the US will become Addison Lee by the end of October, with its own fleet available to be booked alongside other car services, giving it access to Tandem’s existing corporate customer base.
“The Tandem acquisition gives us a great opportunity to provide an industry-leading suite of software products to our corporate clients, global affiliates, and our fleet customers in New York City, who are already using the product,” explains Tim Rose, who now leads Addison Lee’s combined North American business, and oversees Tandem, with close support from Tristar’s Mike Fogarty.
Addison Lee held a Fleet Customer Reception on September 14, in New York City to “discuss the opportunities and enhanced services that we will be able to provide our partners locally,” added Rose. “The fleets that have been using Tandem will continue to use it to serve their corporate clients – and together, we will have thousands of vehicles at the disposal of customers using Tandem’s advanced technology, which is backed by world-class customer service, and an exceptional team behind the scenes in every department to serve our customers’ needs.”
London-based Addison Lee is the World’s largest managed car operation, providing a premium service through its’ fleet of 5,000 vehicles. The company counts 80% of the FTSE 100 Index as customers, and provides up to 30,000 rides a day in London alone.
“Our London corporate customers want the same premium car experience in other key markets,” said Andy Boland, CEO of Addison Lee Group. “The acquisition of Tandem allows us to accelerate our plans to deliver these services in New York and supports our broader expansion in the United States.”
Business customers will be able to book an Addison Lee car in New York via app, web or phone – and businesses with a New York and London presence can arrange Addison Lee services on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as access to managed global services via its international network. By the end of October, there will be 500 Addison Lee branded cars operating in New York.
“While Addison Lee is already one of the largest providers of car services in the United States, this acquisition will allow us to expand even further into New York’s $2 billion car service market through a branded fleet and a digital, premium offering,” noted Boland.
The Tandem transaction is the latest in a series of acquisitions that have strengthened Addison Lee’s U.S. proposition. In June 2016, Addison Lee acquired Tristar Worldwide, with a global network spanning 83 countries. In January 2017, the company acquired Flyte Tyme Worldwide, creating a combined $100 million operation in the United States. Flyte Tyme is being rebranded under the Addison Lee name and added to the platform while Tristar will remain separate, as the company’s Global Platinum Brand.
Sources: Addison Lee, CityAM
