Enterprise Holdings kicked off the year with the acquisition of a technology company and has gone on to raise the bar on how travelers view the services of rental car companies with a new subscription service and ongoing global expansion through partnerships.
Subscription Service
One of Enterprise Holding's biggest announcements so far this year is its new vehicle-subscription service, which began in May.
"The name of the game in ground transportation today is more access, more flexibility and more convenience-whether it's for an hour, a day, a week or longer," said Randal Narike, executive vice president of operations for Enterprise Holdings when the launch was announced in April.
"That means Enterprise is closely evaluating every possible option, from vehicle-subscription services and award-winning digital apps to autonomous technology and artificial intelligence," Narike noted. "We will be starting in three states, to allow sufficient time to study vehicle-subscription services and consumer preferences. When it launches throughout the U.S., the service will be fully vetted and specifically designed to meet evolving consumer needs."
The service launched in three states: Minnesota, Missouri and Nevada.
New Destinations
In Egypt, Enterprise announced in February that it would be expanding in that country's rental car market through a partnership with Premier Group, one of the country's largest providers of integrated services and logistics, leading to the creation of Premier Auto Rentals.
The partnership marked the next step in Enterprise Holding's international expansion plans.
Enterprise has also expanded to Finland. Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car brands have nine locations within the country, including a new site at Helsinki Airport.
Enterprise plans to extend its car rental services across the European continent by partnering with experts in each country with a strong reputation for customer care. In Finland, a deal with LansiAuto Group made the introduction into Finland possible.
In April, Enterprise announced a partnership with Nippon Rent-A-Car in Japan. The two companies have entered into a franchise agreement that provides access to Enterprise's brands for visitors to Japan, as well as for Japanese residents traveling overseas.
Acquisition of Deem
At the end of January, Enterprise Holdings completed its acquisition of the Deem platform. The deal includes Deem Work Fource and Deem Ground Work, a suite of online booking and travel technology products for business travelers, travel managers, travel-management companies and suppliers.
"We recognized Deem as a company that can bring better solutions to the travel industry," said Greg Stubblefield, executive vice president and chief strategy officer for Enterprise Holdings.
Through Enterprise, Deem received access to an infusion of capital and resources to help further expand its product roadmap and increase the pace of product development and enhancements.
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