Enterprise Rent-A-Car, the largest rental car company in North America, has 5,000 offices in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom and Germany.  Enterprise operates more than 600,000 vehicles worldwide and has annual revenues of more than $6 billion.  Enterprise is currently number 22 on the Forbes “500 Largest Private Companies in America” list. 
 
Enterprise was founded in St. Louis in 1957 by Jack Taylor, a decorated World War II naval aviator, and has maintained its headquarters in St. Louis ever since.  Originally named Executive Leasing, the company began as a small, seven-car auto leasing business in the basement of a Cadillac dealership.  Even in the early years, long before an official mission statement was composed, Jack Taylor’s management style was clear: provide customers with exceptional service, and employees with well-deserved respect and ample career opportunities, and market growth and profitability will follow.  Throughout the next four decades, that philosophy has continued to guide Enterprise and its nearly 50,000 employees.
 
Unlike other rental car companies, Enterprise’s primary focus is the local rental car market, specializing in car rentals to consumers who need a replacement car as the result of an accident, mechanical repair or theft, or who require a vehicle for a special occasion such as a short business or leisure trip.  Just over three years ago, Enterprise also began expanding its operations to include the airport market, and now serves 99 of the top 100 airports in the United States. 
 
In recent years, Enterprise has been recognized several times for its innovative business practices, commitment to customer service and dedication to its employees.  CIO magazine recognized Enterprise as “one of the 100 companies most likely to succeed in the next millennium,” and the same publication named Enterprise one of 100 companies achieving excellence in customer service through innovative uses of technology.  Fortune magazine called Enterprise one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For,” and The Black Collegian magazine ranked the company the largest recruiter of recent college graduates among the country’s top 100 employers.
 
Enterprise remains a privately held business, and the Taylor Family, which owns the company, has never lost sight of the qualities that have made Enterprise a success – superior customer service, and respect and opportunities for employees.  It’s the way it was when Jack Taylor founded the company 45 years ago, and it’s the way it always will be.