At the 2015 International Car Rental Show this week, Monday’s opening keynote session featured five panelists discussing the U.S. auto rental industry and the essential disciplines in the marketplace.

Susan Lombardo, Enterprise Holdings’ vice president of vehicle acquisition, was one of the panelists in the discussion, which was moderated by Chris Brown, editor of Auto Rental News. Along with the other panelists, Lombardo highlighted factors such as fleet acquisitions and disposal, operational issues, franchise and manufacturer relations as well as legislative challenges.

Lombardo, who oversees the acquisition of more than a million cars every year, discussed the importance of maintaining the fleet.

“We believe our fleet is one of the newest in the industry, with an average odometer reading of less than 16,000 miles and an age of eight months,” said Lombardo. “That is critically important when it comes to delivering award-winning customer service and meeting the expectations of individual consumers and our corporate partners.”

Another priority for Enterprise is its partnerships with automotive manufacturers, according to Lombardo.

“With the U.S. car rental industry growing at a rate of more than 5% a year, it represents a strategic channel for exposing the best vehicles and best technology to consumers overtime,” said Lombardo. “Manufacturers have discovered that car rental — regardless of whether it’s for an hour, a day, a week or longer — is a significant link in the automotive value chain. That means we can help automakers maintain and even grow market share. As a result, we continue to look for ways to collaborate and communicate with our manufacturing partners every day.”