Sofico has acquired the French IT solutions company, Car Systems.
Founded in 1985 and based in Avignon, France, Car Systems provides fleet software solutions and hosting for short and long term car, van and truck rental operators. Its business activities cover France and southern Europe and it employs a staff of around 20 employees.
Gémar Hompes, managing director at Sofico explained: “The acquisition fits perfectly with Sofico’s growth strategy and broadens the company’s market coverage to include short term car, van and truck rental. Besides, it provides a solid foothold in the French and southern European fleet markets, where Sofico already has a number of customers.”
At the moment, Sofico consists of seven autonomous regional units, backed by a series of process-specific support units. The Car Systems operations will be integrated into this structure as a new unit with its focus on France and southern Europe.
Hompes added: “Sofico guarantees to provide continued support to Car System’s current portfolio of customers. Furthermore, the company has set aside a sizable research and development budget to allow for specific features of Car System’s products to be incorporated into its primary fleet software solutions Miles, Miles Web and Miles Mobile.
The acquisition has been formally approved by the commercial court, the ‘Tribunal de Commerce d’Avignon’, which selected Sofico ahead of two other contenders from within the leasing and fleet software industry.
Hompes added: “We are delighted to have been successful in the strategic acquisition of Car Systems, a leading player in the fleet software sector in France. The business is a perfect addition to our current operations and increases our coverage in France and throughout Southern Europe. It also fits with our strategy of expanding into new sectors of the global fleet market – in this case short term, car, van and truck rental.”
Sofico is a major supplier of software solutions for leasing and fleet management companies and its software is used by a broad range of leasing companies globally.
It was founded in 1988 in Ghent, Belgium and has 25 years’ experience and business expertise in the leasing and fleet management industry. It is privately owned, independent and currently employs more than 130 staff.
The company’s systems are installed in 16 countries worldwide and currently manage more than one million vehicles.
