Enterprise Holdings has announced its acquisition of IGO CarSharing, a nonprofit car sharing service serving more than 15,000 members, with more than 200 locations in more than 40 neighborhoods. Established in 2002 as a pilot program of the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT), IGO was the first car-sharing program in Chicago.

The acquisition will close today, and financial terms of the transaction will not be disclosed. Enterprise Holdings, owner of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car brands, also offers Enterprise CarShare with products and policies specifically geared to the car-sharing customer experience.

“We have great respect for what IGO has accomplished not only in Chicago but in the car-sharing arena overall,” said Ryan Johnson, assistant vice president of Enterprise CarShare. “And we are excited to leverage our local Chicagoland operations to make the IGO program even stronger. Our partnership marks a great opportunity to reinforce car-sharing best practices with the world’s largest local car-rental and car-sharing network.”

As part of the Enterprise CarShare network, IGO’s services will continue to be offered under its current name, while Sharon Feigon, IGO’s chief executive officer, and her team help manage Enterprise’s newest car-sharing division and further enhance its local commitment.

“The purchase of IGO by the nation’s largest car rental corporation validates our success in building a robust car-sharing market through the design of innovative alternative transportation solutions that encourage people to consider both their quality of life, as well as fiscal savings through car sharing, walking, biking and use of public transportation,” said Feigon.

Feigon and her team will work closely with Johnson as well as Jeff Wilder, vice president and general manager who oversees Enterprise’s Chicago group operations.

“We’re proud to have introduced car sharing to Chicago and Chicagoans to car sharing,” said Kathryn Tholin, chief executive officer for CNT. “IGO was started in an effort to provide economical, environmentally sound transportation choices, reduce car ownership rates, lower family transportation costs, decrease urban congestion and improve air quality in Chicago neighborhoods. It makes perfect sense for Enterprise, which began as a neighborhood car-rental company, to place such value on car sharing today.”

 

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