Postbank is currently expanding its services for corporate customers. To this end, Postbank has now formed Postbank Leasing GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of Postbank. In cooperation with VR-Leasing AG, Postbank Leasing GmbH will initially provide Postbank corporate clients with a vehicle leasing service starting April 2001. Within the context of this cooperation, Postbank Leasing will focus on sales and making loan decisions, while VR Leasing will assume the back office functions. The services are to be successively expanded. In addition to vehicle leasing, Postbank Leasing plans to provide fleet management and leasing services for machines and other mobile capital goods. The objective is to provide a comprehensive range of services for all mobile leasing goods.

Synergies in the Deutsche Post World Net Group

Initially, Postbank Leasing will take advantage of synergies within the Deutsche Post World Net Group: on request, in excess of 3,600 haulage companies can utilise the Leasing services, companies that already transport goods in the name of the Deutsche Post World Net Group. Since the middle of 2000, this service has been an integral part of the proven Deutsche Post concept of supporting partner companies by reducing costs – for example when purchasing commercial vehicles. In the medium-term, the vehicle leasing services are to be further expanded to include such services as fleet management, the leasing of machines and other mobile capital goods.

For Postbank, entering the leasing market is part of its overall strategy, which focuses on increased business with medium-sized companies. Other measures have also been planned to further activate business with medium-sized companies: a new current account and simple overdraft facilities are designed to increase the financial transactions of corporate clients.

Postbank also offers its corporate customers real estate leasing services as an alternative financing model. Tailor-made solutions are created in cooperation with larger German real estate leasing companies.

Furthermore, Postbank plans to further expand its commercial real estate financing business. A focal point will be the financing of logistics real estate.

Postbank is very optimistic with regard to its new business division. It is supported by evaluation provided by experts, according to which the leasing potential in Germany has not yet been fully exploited. According to the Bundesverband deutscher Leasinggesellschaften (Federal Association of German Leasing Companies), only 15 percent of all investment is currently financed through leasing. In the USA, this figure is already approximately 20 percent.