Cogent Hire – the collaborative credit hire company, and a proud member of handl Group

What started as a blank piece of paper and an idea for a more ethical way of putting drivers back on the road is now a growing, highly regarded leader in the credit hire industry, thanks to Cogent Hire’s vision and handl Group’s backing.

While handl Group often looks for mature brands with the potential for future growth, sometimes the right idea for a brand new venture comes our way. When that happens, it’s important to make sure visionary founders are supported with the right advice, the right finance, and our people + tech proposition.

Launched in 2021, Cogent Hire has already grown from a start-up challenger brand looking to change the conversation around what ethical credit hire services look like into a maturing, reputable company with a number of key strategic partners.

Cogent Hire’s Goals

Even before the concept for Cogent Hire became a concrete business, the company’s MD Kirsty McKno and handl Group CCO Chris Chatterton were on the same page. With years of experience in the credit hire sector – including time spent as the chair of the industry trade body – Kirsty had big ideas for changing the way credit hire works. A less frictional, more collaborative way:

“Chris and I had already spoken about the issues with the credit hire industry before I had the opportunity to look at what a more ethical mobility service provider looked like. The company came from having that opportunity and taking a blank piece of paper to the top ten insurers and asking them what credit hire would look like if we started from scratch.”

The answer, it turned out, would be a more fair, transparent and profitable service with a better customer journey.

The answer would be Cogent Hire.

The Funding and Launch – 2020 – 2021

As Kirsty started planning the better way to offer credit hire, she could rely on investment and support from handl Group. Cogent Hire was originally backed with seed financing and a customer base from within the group, with the idea it’d launch as a challenger model.

For the first year, direct funding was provided, with access to finance services after the launch in 2021. Throughout this key stage, handl Group also provided expert knowledge, forecasting, and both commercial and financial advice:

“From day one, handl Group has been a huge support to us. Not just financially, but through all of the things that a start-up needs. We started off using the group’s offices, IT and HR teams and their PA. They supported us when we wanted to bring in our favoured marketing experts, and provided services from other companies across the group.”

“Collaboration was something I felt strongly about, and that I wanted to bring to the credit hire industry. Having that built in at the group level, collaborating with other brands to win work and deliver services, really fits with the Cogent Hire brand.”

Cogent Hire’s Present – and Future

Just a few short years after launch, Cogent Hire is already starting to achieve what Kirsty and Chris aimed to do. The brand’s reputation is growing, and the services are becoming increasingly profitable. Kirsty explains:

“Already, Cogent Hire is known for our refreshing approach. Not just with insurers, but with drivers, with businesses, and with people the length and breadth of our supply chain. We’re building solid relationships.”

This hard work is being recognised. Cogent Hire is now the preferred non-fault and EV partner of the National Bodyshop and Repairers Association, giving the business access to 750 repairers across the UK who are driving new work to the company.

And they’re also making waves with new innovations too:

“Our people and our approach to tech really stand out. We’ve been at the forefront of a number of innovations, and we’re collaborating with defendant-based suppliers who’d never normally work with a credit hire company. We’re challenging the status quo on behalf of repairers, and we’re really leading the way when it comes to how credit hire is tackling the switch to EV.”

With a solid structure forming the basis of a company that can scale, grow, and secure the volumes of work needed to increase year on year profits and enable future reinvestment, Cogent Hire’s story proves that when you work with handl Group, your growth really is our goal.