55: DRIVETECH

Who better to set up a company to improve driving skills than an ex-traffic cop who has never had a speeding ticket? Chris Howell set up DriveTech from his back bedroom, offering driver improvement programmes to fleet companies shelling out thousands on car insurance claims. “One customer had a fleet of 100 cars and 120 insurance claims a year,” says Howell. It was an easy sell. He then landed a driver improvement contract with Thames Valley police, and now also runs speed awareness programmes, an alternative to fixed penalty and points, on behalf of 14 police forces around the UK. In the past 18 months, Chris has bought out his biggest competitor and launched DriveTech Advantage for learner drivers. Turnover last year was £10.1m and the future looks rosy: “We are in a strong position. We are a debt-free private company, with fantastic long-term local authority contracts,” says Howell.www.drivetech.co.uk

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