5 March 2014
Enterprise Rent-A-Car joins Transform Scotland
Paul McCorkell, Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s Business Development Manager in Scotland, writes:
Founded in St Louis in 1957 by Jack Taylor, Enterprise Rent-A-Car is the world’s largest car hire company and remains privately owned today. Jack's ambitions were very simple, to treat his employees and customers well, and to be the best car hire company. He was convinced if the company achieved that, then growth and profitability would follow. Starting with a modest fleet of 7 vehicles and growing to one of 1.4 million today, this philosophy has certainly come to fruition. Enterprise began trading in the UK 20 years ago and now has a network of 380 branches, 35 of which are in Scotland.
Sustainability may not be the first word that comes to mind when people think of car hire however, Enterprise is working hard to prove that the two go hand in hand. Paul McCorkell, Business Development Manager in Scotland, explains ‘many people are surprised when I explain that I spend much of my time working with companies to advise them on how to travel by more sustainable means. A key area where we believe there are massive opportunities for companies to improve the way they travel is by reducing ‘grey fleet’ or mileage reimbursement. For many companies not only does this represent a significant expense, it is also one of the least sustainable ways to travel, not to mention the significant issues posed from a duty of care perspective’.
Enterprise has recently introduced new services to help organisations tackle grey fleet. For journeys of over 70 miles, there is almost always a more sustainable and cost effective way to travel than an individual using their own car. Enterprise works with companies to review their travel policies which then point their employees toward better options such as public transport, video conferencing, and of course car hire. With the average age of a car in the UK being 7 years and the average age of an Enterprise car being 10 months, the carbon reduction benefits are evident. For those shorter journeys, Enterprise have introduced Enterprise Car Share which is a car club designed specifically for the corporate client. The car sits at the company premises just like a traditional pool car, but the web based booking system, keyless entry, and telematics provide total transparency to ensure that utilisation (and hence ROI for the client) is maximised.
Through a combination of this travel consultancy approach and the Car Share Programme, Enterprise have assisted organisations in cutting down their carbon emissions and outlay on grey fleet by as much as 25%. As a large owner of vehicles, the issue of carbon reduction is at the heart of the Enterprise business model. On top of the work on grey fleet reduction, Enterprise have committed to planting 1 million trees every year for the next 50 years. In Scotland, the first batch was planted in the Trossachs. Enterprise is extremely excited about becoming a member of Transform Scotland and working in partnership to improve sustainable transport options in Scotland.