Scottish-based TOM Vehicle Rental is expanding its rental operations with a move into the north-west of England after acquiring a site in Manchester.

The Airdrie-headquartered company announced it had opened its first depot south of the border at Trafford Park, Manchester. The 1.5 acre Manchester site will be stocked with new vehicles worth in excess of £1million and will create 10 new jobs, a figure which is expected to increase. 

TOM director James Rafferty said: "This is an exciting time for the company and we see massive potential to compete for more business in England by offering the same high level of service that our reputation is built upon and which companies dealing with us in Scotland have come to expect.

"The Manchester site represents an excellent start point for this goal and we are already in advanced talks to supply a total of 350 vehicles to a number of prominent operators in the North West region."

The expansion follows TOM's acquisition of two Mercedes Benz Truck and Van franchises last year. Mr Rafferty confirmed that the company was pleased with the progress made at these dealerships since they were added to the TOM group.