ARI Celebrates 65 Years in the Fleet Management Industry

ARI, a leading global fleet services provider specializing in complex car and truck fleets, was proud to celebrate 65 years in business in October. Founded in 1948 by Steward Holman, ARI is now a leading global fleet management and services provider with a workforce numbering more than 2,500 and locations throughout North America, the UK, Europe, and Hong Kong. Currently ARI manages more than one million fleet vehicles in North America, the UK and Europe, and together with its global partners, more than two million worldwide.

“We’re proud to mark this incredible milestone in our company’s history,” said ARI President Carl A. Ortell. “Many things have changed since our company’s earliest days, but the one thing that hasn’t changed is our people and their dedication to providing our customers with superior service and unmatched expertise in running a best-in-class fleet. Without question, our strength is our people and I would like to thank everyone at ARI for their continued focus on excellence.” Ortell also extended recognition and thanks to all of ARI’s customers and business partners, and affirmed the company’s continued commitment to providing innovative solutions that help lower total cost of ownership and to the development of market-leading technologies.

Since its founding, ARI has been at the forefront, offering the fleet industry ground-breaking products and state-of-the-art solutions that have helped companies find efficiencies and run better fleets. ARI has also been a leader within the industry, serving as a charter member of the American Automotive Leasing Association (AALA) in its very first decade of operation. In the years that followed, ARI opened offices across the US and beyond, developed processes that streamlined fleet management, and created alliances with strategic global partners in order to deliver more value and meet customer need. ARI also developed and implemented the industry’s first quality assurance program, Partners In Excellence, which in addition to ensuring 100 percent customer satisfaction, offers rewards and bonuses for employees based on the company’s achievement of specifically defined performance goals
In recent years, ARI has continued to distinguish itself for its investments in technology and the development of pioneering programs. In 2011, ARI was one of the first 100 companies in the world and the first in the fleet industry to invest in SAP’s innovative in-memory technology. This revolutionary database gives ARI the ability to quickly process and analyze large amounts of data from multiple sources in a fraction of the time it would take other tools, which provides both ARI and its customers with the critical insight needed to make impactful business decisions in real time. This in turn has allowed ARI and its customers the opportunity to identify possible cost reductions and efficiency gains, which translate into lowered costs and improved operations. The company’s ground-breaking investment in technology has not gone unnoticed. In 2013, ARI was named to both the InformationWeek 500 and to CIO Magazine’s CIO 100 for using innovative technology to deliver genuine business value. ARI was also honored at the 11th Annual American Business Awards in the “Tech Innovation of the Year” category and named a Constellation Research SuperNova award winner in 2012 in the “Data to Decisions” category.

ARI has also expanded across the globe over the past several years, first with ARI Fleet UK, and more recently with ARI Fleet Germany and the acquisition of HPI Fleet & Mobility in Europe, which closed in October 2013. This growth reflects ARI’s commitment to serving the needs of its multi-national customers as well as those with regional requirements across the world and especially in Europe. In the coming years, the company plans to continue to bring its unique approach to customer service, its innovative technology solutions and its customized products and services to new markets and regions.

ARI has long been recognized not just for its innovation in the marketplace, but also for its commitment to hiring, developing and supporting the best professionals in the industry. This commitment was recognized in 2013 when ARI was named to FORTUNE’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list. Noted for fostering a family-like atmosphere and strongly emphasizing employee development, ARI was lauded for developing a culture of trust, cooperation and collaboration. The company was honored to be recognized by FORTUNE, noting in a release that it seeks to be a place where an individual can build a satisfying, long-term career.

At every turn, ARI has sought to partner with its customers to help them manage their fleets ensuring that they are getting the most value and best-in-class performance from their vehicles. At the same time, the company has sought to invest in technology while empowering its people to be their very best and exceed customer expectations, and in the coming years the company plans to continue to invest in people, processes and technology in order to remain a market leader in fleet management solutions worldwide.

Originally posted on Automotive Fleet