A qualified car mechanic, Jean-Pierre Bénier’s career took a new direction when he decided to return to his birthplace, Veauche, in the Loire. This was in Spring 2007, when he set up Établissements Bénier, a company that specialises in luxury vehicle hire, or to be more specific, chauffeur driven cars.

Mine is the only specialist company in the Loire and it’s worth noting that the chauffeur driven vehicle industry is strictly regulated by the local authorities who administer all licences, he explains. It took me 10 months to obtain all the necessary paperwork because first of all you need to set yourself up as a supplier of tourism and vehicle rental services, plus you have to be qualified to, at least, two years after baccalauréat (A- level) with supplementary professional qualifications. Your file is then passed to the authorities who, following consideration by a business tourism committee made up of 20 members, grant operational capacity to the individual and a licence to the company .

With such precious treasure in his pocket, Jean-Pierre Bénier then invested in a fleet of four executive vehicles, including a Peugeot 607 saloon, an S-Class Mercedes saloon, an eight-seater Mercedes Viano and a Lincoln limousine.

If we need to, we can increase our fleet temporarily by working with other companies or hiring vehicles for a specific period, says Jean-Pierre Bénier. This is an age-old profession which is popular with companies because we add value to any event or function. All our drivers have to speak English and we can also offer other languages. Our clients have access to the day’s newspapers as well as, in my fleet of vehicles, high speed internet access. We carry their bags, open doors and generally know how to be of service, discreet and capable of getting from A to B. When several vehicles are needed at the same time, I can call on professionally qualified drivers who all hold their chauffeur licences .

This is a service that increasing numbers of companies use, whether just for a few hours or over several days. I can work anywhere in France, continues Jean-Pierre Bénier. But for the time being 98% of my business is in the Rhône-Alpes and the Auvergne. Companies make up 70% of my clientèle, 30-40% of which is for conference and seminar business especially in Lyon, and the remaining 10% is from government or regional bodies. It would seem that companies are increasingly opting to use external suppliers for their transport needs, especially when it comes to meeting or escorting clients or suppliers to and from Lyon Saint-Exupéry or Lyon Bron airports. It’s also possible for a client to call us with a request for our services over two days, specifying the number of kilometres we’ll be required to drive. This can sometimes be for longer periods, especially during conferences or seminars .

Executive car hire is especially suited to the needs of business people, as we’ve just seen. However, another option that the firm is pursuing is vehicle hire for longer periods, including an annual package that offers 40 hours of chauffeur driven hire during the week and personal use of the vehicle over the weekend!

Rates start at 65 euros for an hour’s rental up to 165 euros for chauffeur driven transport from anywhere in the Loire to Lyon airport. A 12-hour day hire for up to 300 km distance will cost 750 euros – equal to the journey between Saint-Étienne and Courchevel – or 150 euros for the journey from Saint-Étienne to Lyon’s Cité Internationale. These prices are applicable for three of the four vehicles operated by Établissements Bénier, with a 15% supplement when the client opts for the Lincoln…