Ten years on the growth road

From a backstreet garage in Colne to a business renting up to 300 vehicles across Lancashire and turning over almost £3m, CVS Vehicle Group’s growth journey has been remarkable — and it is still gathering pace.

But when you consider where the business was six years ago, it seems there really must be something in the fuel at the now Burnley based firm.

The business’ origins can be traced back around 30 years to when Keith Schofield opened Craven Garage in Norfolk Street, Colne. That small scale garage and rental business was bought by Howard Whewell in 2016, with current business owner Wayne Ousby joining four years later.

Speaking from the recently refurbished and extended premises in Gannow Lane, on a two-acre site close to the M65, Wayne speaks proudly about the road the business has taken over the past six years. All parts of the business now operate from the site.

He says: “Howard and his friend Ray bought the business in 2016 as a going concern and I came on board four years later.

“My background has always been in commercial vehicles, whether that's with Mercedes-Benz working directly for the brand, or in vehicle rental, lease and commercial vehicle environments.

“Craven Vehicle Services was a small concern at the time, turning over around £275,000. I was moving away from a big corporate environment and wondering whether it was really the right time.

“Just as I was about to join the business we hit Covid and I had to wonder if I was doing the right thing. But I knew from my time in rental and vehicle hire that where there's uncertainty in the economic climate, vehicle rental tends to do well.”

It was time to flip the focus of the business and start thinking bigger.

Wayne says: “I brought a lot of focus around longer-term hire, recurring revenue and professionalising the brand.

“I think it had a stigma as a bit of a backstreet garage. I really wanted to change that, so we invested heavily in new vehicles, the right specification of vehicles and the branding.

“We elevated the brand, improved enquiry management, improved our Google presence and started to gain traction. It grew from there through good feedback, good reviews and reputation.”

That brand had seen a number of different names before becoming CVS Vehicle Group. This wasn’t just about simplifying the business. It pointed to Wayne’s ambitions to grow the business across the wider Lancashire footprint.

“The registered business is Craven Vehicle Services Limited,” says Wayne. “We had Colne Van Hire, Burnley Van Hire and CVS Garage. Those brands worked really well for consumers because they're local, familiar and trusted.

“Where it became restrictive was in developing more B2B long-term hire relationships outside Burnley.

“When trying to develop long term hire business in Preston, Burnley Van Hire was a bit of a blocker.

“I wanted to elevate the business and create something that looked and sounded more professional, so I came up with CVS Vehicle Group.

“We now develop a lot of our longer term business under the CVS Vehicle Group banner, while still using Burnley Van Hire and CVS Garage as customer-facing brands.”

A big opportunity came in 2021 when new premises became available that offered CVS the space to move to the next level.

“In 2021 we had an opportunity to do an asset purchase of Practical Car and Van,” explains Wayne. “We bought the assets, took the site over and secured a really good location.

“There had been a rental company on this site for the best part of 12 years, so there was familiarity. People already knew where the business was.

“We have invested heavily in this site over the years. We have refurbished the offices and last year secured exclusivity on the whole site.

“Over the past 12 months we have refurbished everything, built a three bay purpose built workshop and invested heavily in the facilities.”

The acquisition of the larger premises in Burnley initially meant the business was split across the two sites, as it kept the Colne location active. But it soon became apparent to Wayne that everything needed to be in one place.

He says: “We've now consolidated Colne into Burnley, so everything is on one site. That has brought everyone together as one team rather than feeling detached.

“It has significantly improved efficiency and logistics because we were doing a lot of travelling between sites.

“Burnley is a much busier market and an easier location for customers to access.”

Significant partnerships for the business include Sencat, a facilities management company that supports the NHS, Clitheroe based Stortec Engineering, and Thorne Fire and Security in Burnley. In addition, the firm recently began working with Burnley FC providing transport in and around the club’s Barnfield training centre.

The relocation and expansion led to four years of comparatively rapid growth, although Wayne says there has been a deliberate slowing down over the past two years to allow the business and its staff to breathe.

He says: “We significantly grew every year from 2021 to 2024. The last two years have slowed a little, but that's been purposeful because we couldn't continue at the rate of growth we were doing. It was unsustainable.

“It was the right time for us just to consolidate, get our house in order, and be right and ready for growth for the next phase.”

CVS Vehicle Group, which employs seven people, now has 300 units available for rental at any one time. It offers short term daily hires, longer term flexi hire and has also established a workshop, CVS Garage.

Wayne says: “The workshop not only does our own maintenance, but also consumer and third party maintenance. It turns over around £270,000 to £300,000 a year.”

Ten years on from the buyout, Wayne says the anniversary is an ideal platform from which to celebrate.

He says: “It's a fantastic milestone for any business, especially in our sector. Vehicle rental can be a very volatile and competitive market if it's not done properly.

“We have never really been outwardly vocal about what we have achieved as a business.

“The 10 year anniversary, the consolidation into this super site, the investment we have made and the contracts we have won give us a lot to talk about.

“We've got to shout about this. We have had some fantastic success.”

The slowing of that growth has helped Wayne and his team to breathe, but what does the future hold for CVS Vehicle Group?

“I'm a big believer in sticking to what we know,” says Wayne. “We are good at putting vehicles out on short and long term hire, maintaining strong customer relationships and delivering exceptional service.

“We want to continue growing the business at the right pace.

“Over the next two to three years, fleet management is going to become even more interesting as electrification increases.

“We have to be ready for electrification without necessarily being a trailblazer. We need to make sure we are not left behind.

“It's not just about bringing in electric vans. It's about maintenance, charging infrastructure, education and supporting customers through that transition.

“There's a desire, drive and passion to continue growing the business and the brand.”