Demy Schandeler: BIL Lease facilitates the transition to electromobility

In 1949, with 30 years of experience in the bus industry, Dominique (Demy) Schandeler took over his employer’s business and founded Demy Cars. With two buses, it connected the villages of Keispelt, Meispelt, Nospelt, Capellen, and Mamer before moving to the capital after being awarded several routes. The first journeys took employees to work and pupils to school, but the travel bug had been caught. The company acquired new vehicles in the 1950s and built a new garage.

The 1960s saw the first trips abroad. Meanwhile, the company changed its name, adding a generation to become Demy Schandeler & Fils. The company kept growing and opened of six travel agencies and an Eischen branch, and constructed a new office building. The third generation – made up of cousins Laurent, Joël and Gast – took the reins in 2008. “Demy Schandeler now owns a fleet of some 250 buses and minibuses, covering 14,700 km and carrying over 400 workers each day,” stated Gast.

Becoming more sustainable

With this third generation, Demy Schandeler is investing more in sustainability, and as a result has received CSR certification. The company considers the quality of jobs and social inclusion, while supporting the local economy and choosing the least polluting vehicles. “Our office building is eco-friendly and we are working with SuperDrecksKëscht for our waste. We also try to minimise empty runs to reduce our carbon emissions.”

80% of Luxembourg’s public transport will be electric by 2025. This transition to electromobility is therefore a major challenge for the company, and requires considerable investment: vehicles, charging stations, new depots. “BIL Lease is one of our biggest partners in this transition, helping with the leasing of buses and the construction of a depot near Steinfort, which holds a dozen vehicles.” For 30 years, BIL Lease has been enabling companies to use a vehicle, machine or piece of equipment in exchange for lease payments, and then acquire ownership of it after a number of years.

A 25-year relationship built on trust

Demy Schandeler continues to choose BIL Lease because of the special relationship forged between them over the long term. “We keep the line of communication open and share data, which means we can solve problems quickly. We regularly finance Demy Schandeler’s investments, particularly helping them to acquire equipment,” says Raoul Schmit, commercial Relationship Manager at BIL. This has led to Demy Schandeler acquiring five hybrid buses to herald the start of its transition. “We have some big plans for buying new vehicles together. Given the investments earmarked for the next two years, we want to continue this profitable collaboration with BIL and keep using BIL Lease.” As BIL Lease celebrates its 30th anniversary, Demy Schandeler and BIL Lease both intend to maintain this relationship of trust over the long term, and use this financial backing for future endeavours.

Figure: 5: with the acquisition of five hybrid buses through BIL Lease in 2021, Demy Schandeler starts the transition to electromobility

BIL Lease

A Luxembourg leasing company and BIL subsidiary, BIL Lease, société anonyme, has financed a wide range of professional equipment for 30 years. There are numerous benefits for businesses and professionals: 100% pre-financing by BIL Lease (including VAT), no capital outlay, no impact on the balance sheet, and tax relief on lease instalments as operating expenses. To support Demy Schandeler and enable it to satisfy the government’s environmental demands, we have arranged the financial leasing of vehicles that meet green mobility criteria.