The Lanzarote rent a car company Plus Car will open offices in Funchal, capital of Madeira, as part of its expansion plan. The family business, owned by Aníbal and Germán Díaz, was born in 1992, from the hand of their father. At first, it opened its doors with 5 cars and hardly any resources. "In those days we lacked means and resources, but we made up for it with a lot of work and enthusiasm," recalls Aníbal. The company's first challenge was to consolidate itself in the island market, going through the crisis of the 90s and strengthening the company with a good network of local offices and innovating in the vehicle fleet.
But the entry into the 21st century has been key for the business. Plus Car starts renting vehicles online, placing its website among the main vehicle rental sites in the Canary Islands and betting on the telematic business. Later, it complements its commercial network in Lanzarote, to have rental offices in all the tourist areas of insular relevance.
In 2008, it decided to enter the market of Fuerteventura, opening offices in Fuerteventura. In 2009, the leap takes place this time to Tenerife North and South, doing business in the other province. In 2010, they open a market in Gran Canaria. In 2011 it was the turn of La Palma and in 2013 La Gomera.
That company that was born 21 years ago with 5 cars in Lanzarote today rents its vehicles throughout the Canary Islands and has one of the largest fleets of vehicles in the Canary Islands. What is the secret? "Being faithful to the meaning of our brand Plus Car, and that is that we rent the best vehicles at the best possible price," reveals Aníbal. But the fleet is also important.
Germán explains that choosing the vehicles to then rent them is a whole process: "We are constantly informed of the novelties that exist in the automotive market. When we decide to buy a car model, we think about our customers. We imagine a professional who comes on a business trip, a couple, or a family with children, and we love to believe that part of the happiness of the trip is their car. We want to choose the vehicle that makes them as happy as possible, and also give them a service," he says.
And Plus Car considers that from the rent a car they can help, humbly, the tourist destination. "The experience of driving through our lands is wonderful and a car that adapts to the needs of the visitor makes their overall tourist experience unforgettable," he defends.
What is the rent a car business like?
Both, Germán and Aníbal, agree that the business of a rent a car is "hard and has many risks". A manager of this type of company becomes in a certain sense a financial analyst, since when making purchases of vehicles you have to think about the devaluation of the car, the cost of money, interest rates, risk or resale. In addition, currently the lines of financing are scarce, since after the financial crisis that broke out in 2008 the banks closed the tap of money and the purchase of vehicles is increasingly difficult. "When people see a rent a car office open they do not know the merit it has, that is why we have enormous respect for these businesses, also those of the competition," says Aníbal.
In Lanzarote, many entrepreneurs are dedicated to renting cars assuming risks and work, so the sector of the island "deserves all the respect". "We are not talking only about Plus Car", explains Germán, "but in general of all the SMEs that are dedicated to this and that contribute to the insular wealth". "I think that the sector improves the concept of the integral destination of Lanzarote and the Canary Islands, and also in a hard market, we compete with multinationals, and we face them with enthusiasm, assuming patrimonial and even personal risks," he says.
The opening of the market in Madeira in 2014 is the first international experience of the company from Lanzarote. "We believe that the Portuguese market can adapt perfectly to our business model," says Aníbal Díaz.
In this way, of that company that started in 1992, only the name remains and little else. Now it has thousands of rental vehicles, offices in all the Canary Islands, a telematic business or its own brand of second-hand vehicles such as Autos Dibar. In addition, its landing in Madeira will arrive soon. All this makes Plus Car a leading company, but without losing the family air that its founder implanted. "In a certain sense, the success of the company is a tribute to the work and determination of my father," concludes Germán.