AkzoNobel honors Enterprise for outstanding commitment to corporate sustainability at awards banquet in San Antonio
ST. LOUIS – 2012-08-15 — /travelprnews.com/ — Enterprise Rent-A-Car has received the 2012 FIT Sustainability Award from AkzoNobel Automotive & Aerospace Coatings Americas. The award was created in 2009 to honor the contributions of key corporate leaders within the collision repair industry for their “focus, innovation and talent” in implementing sustainable business practices across their operations. Enterprise was recognized at the 2012 FIT Sustainability and Most Influential Women awards banquetin San Antonio, Texas, on July 19.
AkzoNobel is the world’s largest paint and coating company and a leader within the collision industry. As a key provider of insurance replacement rentals, Enterprise partners with leading property-casualty insurers and collision repair centers throughout North America. Its partners in those industries nominated Enterprise for this award in recognition of the company’s efforts in building and communicating its sustainability programs.
“This award is further confirmation that the work we’re doing to build a sustainable company is having a positive impact on our company, our customers, our industry and the community,” said Lee Broughton, head of corporate sustainability at Enterprise Holdings. “What’s good for the environment can be good for business – and that’s especially true if you take a long-term view of your operations and investments.”
ARMS®Automotive Suite of Products
One of the core programs recognized by AkzoNobel is the Automated Rental Management System (ARMS)® Automotivesuite of products. Enterprise developed ARMS in an effort to help collision repair centers increase operating efficiencies, enhance customer service and streamline repair shops’ communications with insurance companies and customers. Although this actually decreases the duration of rental periods, Enterprise embraced the opportunity to increase customer service and value.
“It may seem counterintuitive for a rental car company to create a system that leads to fewer retail days, but it’s consistent with our sustainable approach to business,” said Broughton. “Shorter and more efficient rentals help us serve our insurance customers better, get policy holders back in their cars sooner, and strengthen our reputation as a valuable partner.”
The Business of Sustainability
At Enterprise, a commitment to environmental sustainability is integrated into every aspect of the business. This is rooted in the vision Enterprise founder, Jack Taylor, established nearly 55 years ago. Some highlights of Enterprise’s commitment to responsible and sustainable operations include:
- 20/20 Vision Program: The company’s five-year program, designed to reduce energy use and related costs by 20 percent by 2015, saving an estimated $50 million along the way.
- 50 Million Tree Pledge: Through a private/public/nonprofit partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation and the U.S. Forest Service, Enterprise is planting 50 million trees over 50 years at a cost of $50 million.
- Electric Vehicles: Enterpriseis part of the nation’s largest electric vehicle (EV) rollout, and the first car rental company in the U.S. to offer the extended-range electric Chevy Volt. Enterprise is also a member of the Electrification Coalition, a nonpartisan, not-for-profit group of business leaders representing the entire value chain of the growing electric-vehicle industry.
- National Clean Fleets Partnership: The company is a corporate member of this public-private partnership, which was established to help large companies reduce diesel and gasoline use in their fleets by incorporating electric vehicles, alternative fuels, and fuel-saving measures into their daily operations.
- Renewable Fuels Research: Since 2006, Enterprise’s owners, the Taylor family, have given $35 million to the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and its Enterprise Rent-A-Car Institute for Renewable Fuels to support the research and development of new and sustainable methods of creating next-generation biofuels that someday could be used to power cars, trucks and aircraft, reducing both environmental impact and the nation’s dependence on foreign fuel sources.
With more than 5,500 branch offices located within 15 miles of the U.S. population, the Enterprise Rent-A-Car brand is well known for offering affordable, accessible and sustainable transportation options in communities from coast to coast. For more information about Enterprise’s Corporate Sustainability Report or the brand’s environmental stewardship and long-term commitment to the sustainability of its business, visit www.DrivingFutures.com and follow @LeeBroughton on Twitter.
About Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Founded in 1957 and known for an extensive network of locations, everyday low rates and outstanding customer service, Enterprise Rent-A-Car is an internationally recognized brand that has been named to BusinessWeek magazine’s annual list of “Customer Service Champs” in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. In addition, Enterprise won Budget Travelmagazine’s 2010 and 2011 Readers’ Choice Award as their favorite rental car brand for customer service around the globe.
St. Louis-based Enterprise Holdings owns and operates – through its regional subsidiaries – the Enterprise Rent-A-Car brand in the United States, Canada, UK, Germany and Ireland. With annual revenues of $14.1 billion and more than 70,000 employees, Enterprise Holdings also operates more than 1.2 million cars and trucks, making it the largest and most comprehensive car rental service provider in the world measured by revenue, employees and fleet. In addition to car-sharing and vanpool programs, Enterprise and its affiliates offer business and retail customers a total transportation solution, including hourly rental and car leasing and the Enterprise Car Sales, Enterprise Commercial Trucks and Enterprise Fleet Management business lines.
###