Vinz secures fleet contract

AUCKLAND: Vehicle Inspection New Zealand (Vinz), owned by Japanese company Jevic, has won a safety inspection contract for Tourism Holdings’ global fleet of 5264 vehicles.

The value of the contract was not disclosed, although Vinz said it was ‘‘a significant investment’’ by Tourism Holdings in managing safety risk.

The Aucklandbased company said it saw a competitive advantage from proactively managing fleet safety, especially with customer peace of mind.

‘‘This partnership is entirely proactive, initiated by Tourism Holdings as part of our intention to have the safest fleet of commercial motorhomes on the road — both in New Zealand and around the world,’’ chief executive Grant Webster told BusinessDesk.

‘‘This initiative is part of our commitment to road safety, which we see as paramount to our business.’’

Vinz will provide the service directly in New Zealand and Australia, while related companies will provide the audits in other countries.

Tourism Holdings says it is the world’s largest operator of mobile homes through its operations in New Zealand, Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom.

Jevic, the Japan Export Vehicle Inspection Centre Co, provides preshipment inspections and certification for used and new vehicles, vessels and containers. It acquired Vinz, which formerly traded on the Unlisted platform, in 2013 for $2.15 a share or $5.4 million.

Tourism Holdings shares fell 0.5% to $4.47 on the NZX yesterday and have gained 21% this year. They touched a record $4.65 on August 25. — BusinessDesk