Date: June 6, 2024
By: Steve Lombard
Publication: Idaho Business Review
“Considered the world’s largest fleet operator with more than two million vehicles on the roads throughout North America, Enterprise Fleet Management is expanding its Boise-based operations.
Coupled with Idaho’s ongoing expansive growth and looking to capitalize on the ever-changing needs of the fleet industry, Enterprise recently added Boise as one of its five newest fleet management locations nationwide.
The decision to bring Boise into the group’s fleet family was based on “organic growth” and not the “result of acquisitions,” said Chloe Caylor, communications manager for the company.
“The growth we’re seeing across North America, both here and in Canada, speaks to how our clients are evolving and the demand they have for customized fleet management solutions,” Caylor said.
Beyond an array of local businesses, Enterprise also serves municipalities that must maintain a fleet of vehicles to help manage constant growth.
Prior to the Boise expansion, Enterprise Fleet operated locally with only a sales staff, with its management personnel based out of Utah.
Brendon Ross, senior vice president of finance for the fleet division, said the need to include Boise as one of its 60 fleet locations nationally was an outgrowth of its sister company, Enterprise Rent-A-Car.
“We now have 30 accounts in this market and saw great potential for our continued growth,” Ross said. “We’ve always had salespeople here, but the management expansion is the biggest part and we felt we needed to support this site with a management team.”
According to Ross, what separates Enterprise from its competitors is its ability to utilize a local sales force to help serve clients in a more efficient and timely manner.
“Most of our competitors drop in to sell, compared to our approach to have local boots on the ground to handle the day-to-day consulting with our clients,” he said. “This is the structure we build.”
And while the trademarked Enterprise car rental slogan of “We’ll pick you up” has been widely recognized since 1994, Ross emphasized the company’s fleet service has plenty to offer as well.
“We want people to understand that we are much more than a rental car business and that we are capable of handling all of the mobility needs of an individual or a business,” he said.
Through its fleet division, Enterprise offers a full suite of services including help with selecting the proper vehicles tailored to meet business needs, the option to lease or own, assistance with funding, titling, securing aftermarket equipment, and even guidance in helping to find the right maintenance vendors.
“Enterprise is associated with numerous offerings most people often do not realize,” Caylor said. “We recently launched Enterprise Mobility, a corporate brand that encompasses all these offerings under one umbrella. For a client, we can recommend a variety of applications to help improve their business.”
And to do so, Ross said, without having to “re-brand everything we do.”
“There is a lot of change happening in the industry and we want to be sure we are on the leading edge of capturing any opportunities that come about,” he said.
Plus, the “whole vehicle space” as he calls it is becoming increasingly complicated, and the costs to operate and manage a fleet of vehicles can be a daunting task.
“Behind personnel, a fleet is probably the second biggest expense for many businesses,” Ross said. “We want to come in and help shift the focus so a business can operate more efficiently day to day.”
Most Enterprise clients typically maintain a fleet that exceeds 20 vehicles.
And with business needs constantly changing, as well as other factors to consider such as mileage, annual use and vehicle wear and tear, Ross said an important part of the fleet plan is always looking three to five years down the road.
“Having a dedicated client strategy manager working with a client is so important, not so much in a transactional basis in acquiring a vehicle, but in managing the full fleet to provide expertise through every step of the process,” he said.
And sometimes Ross said there are “other realities” not centered on cost.
“You might have a situation where a company driver is in a vehicle all day,” he said. “Part of their value proposition to their employees may be to provide a newer vehicle on a regular basis.”
Even for those clients that may already have a longstanding relationship with a local car dealer.
“A customer may have traditionally used a certain type of vehicle because of a relationship they shared with a local dealership,” Ross said. “Our personal contact is the biggest part of the offering to help move this past a straight transactional process. We can show them the full suite of offerings that might be available within the whole marketplace.”
This could mean choosing between one brand or manufacturer versus another, deciding on a light duty truck or a van, and even considering an electric vehicle (EV) rather than one powered by a gas-powered engine.
Last year, Enterprise Fleet Management helped Domino’s Pizza roll out its nationwide EV fleet, the largest in the country.
“We recognize that EVs work well for some customers, but not all,” Ross said. “Based on their needs and the range an EV might provide, it might not make sense for a client to go this route.”
In the end, the bottom line is the bottom line for Enterprise Fleet Management.
“Given our wide network of local hands-on account management, we truly can oversee a variety of fleet sizes and manage those needs locally in Boise rather than coming out of Utah,” Caylor said. “Boise is such a growing city, and we want to grow with it and remain fully dedicated to this market. We hope to be here a long, long time.””
SOURCE: https://idahobusinessreview.com/2024/06/06/enterprise-fleet-management-expanding-in-boise/
