Contel marks major year of growth
Contel reports a significant year of growth as more local authorities and waste operators look to strengthen vehicle safety, improve operational visibility and adopt smarter fleet systems.
Contel Ltd, the specialist provider of vehicle safety, camera, telematics and connected fleet technology, has reported a significant year of growth as more local authorities and waste operators look to strengthen vehicle safety, improve operational visibility and adopt smarter fleet systems.
The business, led by Co-CEOs Andy Kelly and Thomas Finlay, has expanded its team, grown its customer base, strengthened its engineering capability and passed a major milestone of more than 7,000 live connected devices operating across UK fleets.
Over the past 12 months, Contel has continued to invest in the people, systems and technical expertise required to support a growing customer base. The company now employs 22 people, with new roles introduced this year including General Manager, Technical Document Writer, Operations Support Administrator, Lead Technical Engineer and Junior Management Accountant. The company is also recruiting for a Data and Integration AI Engineer as it continues to develop its connected systems and data-led fleet safety offering.
Contel’s service engineering team has more than doubled in the past 12 months and now includes nine engineers, with further recruitment underway. This growth has strengthened the company’s ability to provide responsive installation, maintenance and technical support to customers operating essential fleet services across the UK.
Recent local authority wins include Wokingham, Dartford, Hyndburn, Pendle, South Ribble, Barnsley, Oldham, Wolverhampton, Dudley, Birmingham City and Castle Point, reflecting the company’s growing presence within the municipal waste and environmental services sector.
The growth follows strong financial performance, with Contel achieving 49% growth last year and forecasting further growth of more than 30% this year.
A key area of development for the business has been the advancement of its AI camera platform, which represents a major leap forward in Contel’s connected fleet safety capability. The platform has been developed to help operators improve visibility, support safer driving behaviours, identify risk and make better use of data across their fleets.
Contel has also been working in partnership with Biffa on “Binsight”, a food waste recycling participation solution designed to provide greater insight into household food waste engagement. The joint solution has already generated significant interest, reflecting the growing focus on participation, behaviour change and data-led decision-making as the waste sector prepares for further changes in recycling requirements.
Andy Kelly, Co-CEO of Contel Ltd, said:
“Over the past year, Contel has grown in a very focused and sustainable way. We have invested in people, strengthened our engineering team and continued to develop the connected solutions our customers need to operate safer, smarter and more efficient fleets. The waste and environmental services sector is under pressure to improve safety, reduce risk and make better use of data. Our role is to help operators and local authorities bring together vehicle safety technology, cameras, telematics and connected systems in a way that gives them real operational value. Reaching more than 7,000 live connected devices is a major milestone for the business, but what matters most is what that means for our customers. It means more visibility, better reporting, quicker support and a stronger platform for future innovation.”
Contel works with fleets across waste management, local authority services, highways, logistics and specialist transport. Its solutions include AI camera systems, 360-degree camera technology, telematics, radar detection, turn alarms, driver safety systems and integrated connected platforms designed to support compliance, safety and operational performance.
The company’s continued investment in AI, data and integration reflects a wider shift within the sector, as fleet operators look beyond standalone products and move towards connected systems that can support decision-making, identify risks and provide better insight across vehicles, drivers and operations.
Thomas Finlay, Co-CEO of Contel Ltd, added:
“The market is moving quickly. Customers want technology that is joined up, practical and capable of supporting real operational improvements. Our AI camera platform, our connected device network and our partnership work with organisations such as Biffa are all part of that bigger picture.We are proud of the progress Contel has made, but we are also very focused on what comes next. The next stage is about continuing to innovate, supporting more customers and helping the sector get more value from the technology already operating across its fleets.”
Contel’s growth comes at a time when local authorities and waste operators are reviewing how vehicle safety systems, AI, data and connected fleet technology can support safer operations, improved recycling participation and more informed decision-making in increasingly complex working environments.