Andy Taylor
President and CEO of Enterprise Rent-A-Car

In 1957, Jack Taylor began Enterprise Leasing—now Enterprise Rent-A-Car—out of the basement of a St. Louis car dealership. Six years later, the company had just 17 cars in its fleet. Headquartered in St. Louis, Mo., this private, family-owned business, is now the largest rental car company in North America, generating $6.3 billion in worldwide revenue in fiscal year 2001 among its 4,800 offices in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany and Ireland. President and CEO, Andy Taylor, shares the strategies that have made him and the company his father started a success.

NB: What strategies has Enterprise implemented to become the largest car rent company in North America?

AT: It was never our intention to be the biggest—we just wanted to be the best. Our company has grown because of a simple philosophy that we have followed for more than 40 years: Take care of your customers, train your employees and provide them with ample opportunity for growth, and the business will naturally grow.

NB: What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of Enterprise maintaining its privately owned status?

AT: We have remained committed to family ownership of Enterprise since the company opened its doors in 1957, and we have enjoyed great success as a privately held company. Remaining private has allowed us to have a longer-term view of our business.

NB: How is Enterprise increasing its presence and market share in the European arena?

AT: Our future growth will be dictated, as our growth has in the past, by the internal development of personnel and their desire to expand the company.

NB: Is your rental strategy different in Europe than it is in North America?

AT: No, our strategy in Europe is the same as our strategy here. The majority of our business is the local replacement market, and we follow the same business philosophy here, stressing exceptional customer service and opportunities for our employees.

NB: What do you see for the future of Enterprise, 15 to 20 years from now?

AT: I hope to see a rental car in every driveway in America.

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NB: What skills have you acquired that have aided you in your position today?

AT: I learned a lot of business lessons from my father, Jack Taylor, who started Enterprise in 1957. He instilled in me the ideas that customer service and employee development are crucial to any business. A business can set itself apart from the pack with exceptional customer service, and employees need to be empowered to make business decisions that have a real effect on the company. Finally, he taught me to work hard, and have fun in your work. I have definitely learned to have a good time at my job.

NB: If you had it to do it all over again, what would you change? Any regrets?

AT: I love my job and I love the people I work with. I am the “Chief Entertainment Officer” at the largest rental car company in North America, and it has brought me a great deal of joy. I can get up every day and know that I have worked to stick to a simple business philosophy that my father put in place more than 40 years ago, and because of that I have no regrets.

NB: Are there any mistakes you've learned from that you'd like to share?

AT: There was one time in our history when we purchased a business that we thought we were prepared to take on. In reality, we did not know as much about that business as we thought, and it turned out to be an unsuccessful venture. It reinforced the lesson that it is vitally important to have a thorough knowledge of the industry you are entering, and understand your own company's strengths and weaknesses.

A longer version of this article originally appeared in Biz E-Times. The interview was conducted by Jonathan Schlereth.

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