Enterprise Holdings today announced that, for the first time in its
more than 55-year history, the company is franchising its flagship
Enterprise Rent-A-Car brand, as it appoints Guerin Car Rental
Solutions as a franchisee in Portugal. This agreement brings the
Enterprise Rent-A-Car brand's European presence to six countries --
the UK, Germany, Ireland, France, Spain and Portugal --
representing more than 65 percent of the European car rental
market.
With the company's announcement earlier today that it is
rebranding the recently acquired Citer and Atesa operations in
France and Spain, the total number of corporate-owned and franchise
Enterprise Rent-A-Car locations in Europe now exceeds 1,000. Today,
the European Enterprise Rent-A-Car network operates more than
100,000 vehicles.
"We are committed to developing a comprehensive network of
rental car businesses across Europe and beyond," said Jim Burrell,
senior vice president, Europe, for Enterprise Holdings. The company
-- through its regional subsidiaries -- operates the largest fleet
of vehicles in the world and a global network of more than 8,200
airport and neighborhood locations.
International Gateways "While this may be
the first franchising agreement for the Enterprise Rent-A-Car
brand, it won't be the last," said Peter A. Smith, vice president
of global franchising. "In fact, we plan to continue this same
growth strategy throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa and
Asia."
The new franchise agreement not only enables both companies to
better meet customers' needs, it also marks Enterprise Holdings'
entry into the Portuguese market. Since 1989, Guerin has been a
leader in Portugal's car rental sector with a nationwide presence
in all metropolitan centers and major airports, including the
international gateways of Lisbon, Faro, Madeira and Porto.
"We're careful to choose strong, stable domestic businesses as
our international franchise partners, and Guerin certainly meets
that standard as a well-respected travel industry leader in
Portugal," Smith continued.
"Enterprise Rent-A-Car is known for great value and superior
service," said José António Figueiredo, managing director of
Guerin. "Now, together, we'll extend that same level of value and
service to customers throughout Portugal."
As the Enterprise Rent-A-Car brand expands its global footprint,
special training will be provided to underscore Enterprise's unique
customer service approach, including management techniques designed
to give branch employees greater autonomy to meet the needs of
local customers. To further ensure that the Enterprise Rent-A-Car
brand remains synonymous with customer service excellence around
the world, franchised locations also will apply the renowned
Enterprise Service Quality index (ESQi), which measures employees'
success in satisfying their customers. Customer feedback is
tabulated and tracked every month to determine the ESQi score,
which links employees' career and financial aspirations with their
ability to provide consistently superior service to each and every
customer.
Founded in 1957, Enterprise Rent-A-Car is an internationally
recognized brand that has grown organically to almost 7,000
neighborhood and airport locations. Today, Enterprise Holdings has
a presence in 39 countries worldwide, including 8,200
corporate-owned and franchise locations. Currently, through its
regional subsidiaries, Enterprise Holdings operates a National and
Alamo franchise network throughout the Americas. Earlier this year,
the company also made a strategic investment in China-based eHi
Auto Services.
"We've learned how to successfully work with franchisees and
maintain the integrity of our brands -- especially our reputation
for providing exceptional customer service," said Lee Broughton,
assistant vice president of global marketing and communications for
Enterprise Holdings. "As a result, we are in an even stronger
position today when customers tell us they also want to use the
Enterprise brand wherever they travel.
"We are confident that this new partnership with Guerin will
enable us to offer Enterprise Rent-A-Car customers a consistently
positive experience when their travels take them to Portugal,"
Broughton continued. "Our brands share a common commitment to
serving the needs of business and leisure travelers alike, and we
look forward to working seamlessly together to serve our customers
in this dynamic European market."
For more information, visit www.enterpriseholdings.com.
About Enterprise Holdings Enterprise
Holdings owns the Enterprise Rent-A-Car brand as well as the
National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car brands in the Americas,
and together with its affiliate Enterprise Fleet Management, offers
a total transportation solution. Combined, Enterprise Holdings and
Enterprise Fleet Management -- which includes extensive car rental
and car sharing services, commercial truck rental, corporate fleet
management, and retail car sales -- accounted for $15.4 billion in
revenue and operated 1.3 million vehicles throughout the world in
fiscal 2012. Its affiliate, Enterprise Fleet Management, provides
full-service fleet management to companies and organizations with
small- to medium-sized fleets. Other transportation services
marketed under the Enterprise brand name include Enterprise
CarShare, Enterprise Rideshare, Enterprise Car Sales, and
Enterprise Commercial Trucks. Enterprise Holdings, operating
through its regional subsidiaries, is the largest car rental
company in the world as measured by revenue, fleet, and employees.
Enterprise Holdings' annual revenues also place it near the top of
the travel industry, exceeding all other rental car companies, and
most airlines, cruise lines, hotels, tour operators and online
travel agencies.
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For more information, contact: Laura Bryant Enterprise
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