Enterprise Holdings Contributing $200 Million Annually to Houston Economy

HOUSTON, June 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Enterprise Holdings Inc. – the world's largest car rental company – is responding to demand for affordable, local transportation solutions by opening 12 new locations in Houston by the end of 2017. To support this growth, Enterprise also is hiring more than 200 college graduates into its renowned Management Training program in Houston this year.

Enterprise Holdings operates – through an integrated global network of independent regional subsidiaries and franchises – the Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car brands at more than 9,600 fully staffed airport and neighborhood offices worldwide. Enterprise has been delivering transportation alternatives right where people live and work since 1957. Forty years later, Enterprise trademarked the term Virtual Car® after recognizing the strength and energy of local service.

"The Enterprise business model was built on access to affordable transportation. When other car rental companies focused on the airports, we focused on opening locations in local communities," said Karl Koch, vice president and general manager of Enterprise Holdings in Houston.

In addition to having more than 185 branch locations in its Houston subsidiary alone, Enterprise Holdings has nearly 39 percent of the market share at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, and over 40 percent at William P. Hobby Airport.  

Alternative Transportation Solutions

Enterprise's intuitive neighborhood business model features a wide variety of programs in addition to car rental, including retail car sales, truck rental, fleet management, exotic car rental, car sharing and vanpooling.

In fact, in Houston, where the roadways continually rank among the most congested in the country, Enterprise Rideshare's vanpooling service offers one of the most sustainable transportation options and cost-effective commuting solutions available today. One of the largest vanpool operations in the nation, Enterprise Rideshare manages programs that address both local and national needs by reducing traffic congestion and carbon emissions while providing commuters with a smarter, better way to get to work. The fourth largest public transit provider in the United States, Enterprise Rideshare includes vRide, which was acquired in 2016, and takes 100,000 individual cars off the road and eliminates more than 2.4 billion commuter miles driven each year.

"As our business continues to achieve significant growth in the Houston market, we're finding new and better ways to help our customers meet whatever transportation challenges they may face," said Koch.

Economic Impact and Corporate Social Responsibility

The growth of Enterprise Holdings' operations in Houston has helped contribute to the region's prosperity. Last year, Enterprise Holdings' impact on Houston's economy was nearly $200 million, including:

• Nearly $85 million in state and local tax revenues;
• Nearly $99 million spent with local collision repair centers, dealerships and vendors;
• More than $12 million in companywide purchases from diverse suppliers based in the Houston area;
• Nearly $560,000 raised by employees and matching Enterprise Holdings Foundation donations for the United Way of Greater Houston; and
• More than $1 million in donations by the Enterprise Holdings Foundation to such local charities as Greater Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Sam Houston University Foundation, Texas Black Expo, United Way of Greater Houston and Houston Area Urban League, along with more than 75 additional local charities.

With its consistent focus on operational excellence and corporate citizenship, the Enterprise Holdings Houston subsidiary has earned three consecutive Jack Taylor Founding Values Awards, one of the company's highest honors. The award not only recognizes outstanding business achievements but also a focus on areas such as philanthropy, environmental impact, diversity and business ethics. "Our Houston area employees are especially passionate about giving back to the community," added Koch. "Corporate social responsibility is one of the values on which our company was founded."

In late 2016, Enterprise's philanthropic arm announced a large donation aimed at fighting hunger around the globe. The program – called Fill Your Tank – celebrated the company's 60^th anniversary by providing $60 million to address food insecurity. As part of the donation, each regional subsidiary received an allotment that the local team could distribute as it saw fit. In Houston, Fill Your Tank funds have been allocated to four local food banks: Galveston County Food Bank, Houston Food Bank, Southeast Texas Food Bank and Target Hunger.

In 2015, the Enterprise Foundation announced a three-year, $3 million commitment to the Fisher House Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides no-cost lodging to the families of veterans receiving treatment at military medical centers. This donation recently supported construction of one of the organization's newest homes, which will benefit families of patients receiving care at the DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston.

As part of the Enterprise 50 Million Tree Pledge, established in 2006 to celebrate Enterprise's 50^th anniversary and to thank Enterprise customers for their support, the Enterprise Foundation has funded the planting of over 11 million trees. This includes 1 million trees planted in the state of Texas, with 100,000 more plantings planned for the Davy Crockett National Forest in Houston County in 2017.

For more information about Enterprise Holdings, visit www.enterpriseholdings.com.

This press release and car rental industry news are available in the Enterprise Holdings Press Room. The Enterprise Holdings Press Room also includes Fact Sheets for car rental brands and business divisions as well as awards and other reports. 

About Enterprise Holdings
Enterprise Holdings and its affiliate, Enterprise Fleet Management, together offer a total transportation solution. Combined, these businesses accounted for more than $20.9 billion in revenue and owned nearly 1.9 million vehicles throughout the world in fiscal year 2016. Enterprise Holdings' regional subsidiaries and Enterprise Fleet Management currently employ more than 97,000 worldwide.

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SOURCE Enterprise Holdings Inc.