Civil engineering company Callan Connect has leased four custom-built Transit dropside vans from Lex Autolease to support company growth.

The new vehicles, leased on a three-year contract-hire agreement, have been heavily modified by Lex Autolease to carry a wide range of groundworks equipment, from mini-diggers to drilling machinery.

The deal is part of a wider package of support, including funding from Lex Autolease’s parent company Lloyds Bank to support the firm’s extensive growth plans.

Greg Callan, transport manager at Callan Connect, said: “Vehicles are critical to our business, and to avoid costly downtime we need reliable vans to successfully deliver the extensive contract pipeline we have in place.

“As a local, family-run business we must continue to punch above our weight in a hotly contested market containing some large, national players, and the new vehicles will help deliver the high service standards our clients have come to expect.”

Emma Atkinson, area manager at Lex Autolease, said: “By opting to lease new vans, Callan Connect have made significant savings on the customisation and will profit from running more economical vehicles and a reduced risk of unplanned maintenance. The new arrangement makes sense financially, which helps put the business in a strong position to focus on its expansion plans.”

Luke Blount, relationship manager at Lloyds Banking Group, said: “The business is primed for further growth, and we look forward to continuing our relationship as the firm continues its impressive progress. We’re seeing an increasing number of growth-orientated firms like Callan Connect lease for a variety of reasons, one of which is to access the reliability needed to keep vehicles on the road.”

Callan Connect employs 31 people at its Birmingham base, and delivers a wide range of civil engineering and groundworks services to major telecommunications and utility providers across the Midlands.