The figures were announced by the firm – which is to be acquired by a consortium of long-term investors – in its annual results which also saw a 19% rise in net profit to €442.5m compared to €372.0m for 2014, boosted by the rise in the fleet under management and an ongoing positive second-hand car market, in combination with risk mitigating actions paying off, which generated strong termination income.

Growth was noted throughout all regions, ranging from mature leasing markets such as the Netherlands, France, the UK, the US and Germany, to emerging leasing markets such as Turkey, where the company acquired sole ownership of the local entity. Also in 2015, LeasePlan became the 100% owner of Excelease in Belgium. Steps were taken to establish a new entity cluster in Asia, beginning with the expansion of LeasePlan’s operations to Malaysia in 2016. This move is aimed at opening doors to further expansion in South East Asia in the years to come.

Within the client segments, LeasePlan said it sees SMEs as the growth engine of the economy and is keen to continue to support these businesses with its professional propositions. The SME segment has become LeasePlan’s fastest-growing client segment, seeing growth of over 12% in 2015. By the end of 2015, LeasePlan operations in 22 countries were serving SMEs and four more were in the process of setting up local dedicated SME activities. The company also said it made good progress in the area of private leasing in 2015. In Belgium and the Netherlands, LeasePlan launched successful new initiatives for private leasing through retail channels. Other campaigns were launched in Italy, Norway and the UK.

Vahid Daemi, CEO of LeasePlan, commented: “In 2015 LeasePlan achieved strong financial results and made excellent progress against its main strategic priorities: growth and operational excellence, with a strong focus on customer centric innovation, and the development of its people. We can report greater profitability, a significant growth of the global fleet of vehicles, and the introduction of new, leading-edge mobility solutions. To make LeasePlan a ‘one-stop shop’ for business mobility, we are extending our client offering through new products for car sharing and flexible leasing. These innovations show our company’s ability to seize opportunities in a changing industry – a strength that has characterised LeasePlan for over 50 years.”

Looking ahead to 2016, the firm said it’s “optimistic that, barring unforeseen economic circumstances, it will continue to reap the rewards of its strategic path. Although the competitive landscape will remain challenging in 2016, the company believes that all the fundamentals for further growth are firmly in place. LeasePlan will retain its added value for clients, drawing on its tailored products and services, its wealth of expertise, its excellent people and the reach of its global presence.”