Universal Lubricants and Enterprise Holdings Close the Oil Recycling Loop

WICHITA, Kan., May 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In a business alliance that promises to conserve finite natural resources and safeguard the environment, Universal Lubricants and Enterprise Holdings have come together to close the car care loop.  Through its regional subsidiaries, Enterprise Holdings operates the Alamo Rent A Car, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and National Car Rental brands. Beginning at Enterprise's airport service centers in five states, Universal Lubricants will collect the spent motor oil of Alamo, Enterprise and National vehicles and proceed to re-refine the waste fluid, thereby transforming what was once unwanted discharge into its American Petroleum Institute (API) certified ECO ULTRA® high performance motor oil. That green motor oil will then circle back into Enterprise cars and light trucks in those markets, completing a self-sustaining cycle that will repeat itself over and over and over again.  

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"We are always looking for innovative ways to better manage our business sustainably, and this program represents a great example," said Lee Broughton, director of sustainability for Enterprise Holdings. "Our partnership with Universal Lubricants is further evidence of our commitment to ensure the long-term success of our business well into the future."

The U.S. produces approximately 1.3 billion gallons of used oil each year, and only 10 percent of it is re-refined.  The rest of the used oil is either improperly disposed of (damaging the environment) or burned as an industrial fuel and is gone forever.  Universal Lubricants and Enterprise Rent-A-Car together are working to reverse this trend.

"Too often business ventures are seen as diametrically opposed to environmental interests," said John Wesley, chief executive officer of Universal Lubricants. "The collaboration between Universal Lubricants and Enterprise Rent-A-Car contests that very assumption, providing a shining example of the innovation and possibility that arises when a commitment to customer service fuses with formidable environmental stewardship."

Utilizing a tightly controlled closed loop process, Universal Lubricants collects used oil from the government and private business such as auto parts stores, dealerships, service stations, and oil change centers across the U.S. The company then transports that oil to one of the world's most technologically advanced re-refineries located in Wichita, Kansas, where it undergoes a state-of-the-art hydro-treating process to remove all of the water, fuel and solvents as well as metals, asphalt flux and other heavy contaminants. The purified high quality Grade II base stock oil is then blended with high performance additives to make API certified ECO ULTRA® products.

For more information about Universal Lubricants' ECO ULTRA® products, visit www.ecoultraoil.com.

About Enterprise Holdings

Founded in 1957, Enterprise Holdings is the most comprehensive service provider and only investment-grade company in the car rental industry, operating Alamo Rent A Car and National Car Rental, as well as its flagship Enterprise Rent-A-Car brand. Its worldwide network includes more than 7,700 neighborhood and airport locations, with 6,000 offices located within 15 miles of 90 percent of the U.S. population. The Alamo, Enterprise and National brands collectively lead the car rental industry with more than one-third of all airport business in the United States and Canada. Further, Enterprise has ranked "Highest in Rental Car Customer Satisfaction" among North American airport rentals for the last seven years in a row, according to the 2004-2010 J.D. Power and Associates Rental Car Satisfaction Studies.

With annual revenues of $12.6 billion and more than 68,000 employees, Enterprise Holdings owns and operates, through its regional subsidiaries, more than 1 million cars and trucks, making it the largest car rental company in the world measured by revenue, employees and fleet. Ranked No. 17 on the Forbes "Top 500 Private Companies in America" list, Enterprise Holdings is owned by the Taylor family and headquartered in St. Louis. Enterprise Holdings and its affiliates offer business and retail customers a total transportation solution, which includes hourly rental, car leasing, WeCar car sharing and Enterprise Rideshare vanpooling programs, as well as the Enterprise Car Sales, Enterprise Commercial Trucks and Enterprise Fleet Management business lines. In addition, Enterprise Holdings is part of a global strategic alliance with Europcar, creating the world's largest car rental network. For more information about Enterprise Holdings, visit www.enterpriseholdings.com. For more information about Enterprise Holdings' environmental stewardship and long-term commitment to the sustainability of its business, visit www.DrivingFutures.com.

About Universal Lubricants

Universal Lubricants is one of America's oldest, most trusted used oil collection, re-refining and new oil distribution leaders. The company operates 28 facilities in 14 states and operates one of the world's most technologically advanced re-refineries in Wichita, Kansas. Utilizing a tightly controlled closed-loop process, Universal Lubricants collects used motor oil from across the country, processes it through their advanced refinery, and then blends the re-refined oil into high quality API certified motor oils and lubricants that meet SAE requirements and current OEM specifications. To ensure performance and reliability, the company's finished products go through rigorous lab testing and are real world proven for the most demanding driving environments. Universal Lubricants employs 380 American workers and is a Pegasus Capital Advisors portfolio company. For more information, please visit www.universallubes.com.

SOURCE Universal Lubricants