Enterprise Holdings said it will transport 17,000 vehicles to Southeast Texas by the end of the month to help with Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts.
St. Louis-based Enterprise Holdings, which operates the Enterprise, National Car Rental and Alamo brands, already has transported more than 4,000 cars and trucks to the region, the company said.
The company also noted that its philanthropic arm, the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation, has donated $1 million to the American Red Cross to provide shelter, food, water and supplies for residents in the affected areas.
“After a catastrophic event like Hurricane Harvey, we immediately focus on our neighbors and community businesses as well as insurance companies and relief agencies, plus critical government, insurance and utility personnel,” said Karl Koch, general manager and vice president in Houston for Enterprise Holdings.
Enterprise said it has been collaborating with FEMA and other federal and state agencies “to determine the most pressing and urgent transportation needs in Southeast Texas.”
“We’re quickly shifting resources and fleet nationwide to meet spiking demand for local ground transportation in Houston and surrounding areas,” Koch said. “And we’re expanding our operating hours – at both neighborhood offices and at airport facilities – with additional staffing wherever possible. Our integrated network, with more than 525 locations in Texas alone, enables us to respond like no other car rental company, especially as we work closely with insurance companies and prioritize vehicle replacement requests for their policyholders.”
Initially, Hurricane Harvey forced Enterprise Holdings to close more than half of its 185 car-rental locations in the Houston area, with approximately 3,000 vehicles destroyed or lost in the flooding. However, the company has reopened most of its locations.
The Enterprise, National and Alamo brands have waived one-way rental fees for customers who are returning vehicles to Houston, if they were rented as of Aug. 25 from Houston or from any other U.S. city, the company noted.
To help Houston residents who need to replace their vehicles, Enterprise Car Sales is offering Texas residents a $300 gift card with the purchase of a vehicle through Oct. 31. To qualify for the gift card, residents must have filed insurance claims, the company said.
