Enterprise beautifies roundabouts to mark the brand’s 20th anniversary in the UK

Enterprise marks its 20th anniversary of operating in the United Kingdom this year. To celebrate this milestone, we have committed to a beautification program covering nine roundabouts in Enterprise’s eight operating groups in the U.K.

To support this program, we will partner with British landscape experts and local governments to transform the roundabouts into natural wildflower gardens. Noting that one of Enterprise’s Founding Values is to strengthen our communities, one neighborhood at a time, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of the U.K. and Ireland Mike N. says: “We want to celebrate our 20th year in this market by giving something back to the regions that have welcomed and supported us over so many years.”

Thanks to that support, Enterprise’s U.K. business has skyrocketed from less than two dozen cars at its start to a fleet of more than 60,000 vehicles today.

Roundabouts are vital to the flow of all traffic in the U.K. They eliminate traffic lights and stop signs necessary at traditional junctions where roads cross at right angles. Studies have shown that roundabouts reduce fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. The U.K. has about 25,000 of them.

Enterprise will identify the nine roundabouts for beautification based on recommendations by councilors serving in local governments. The University of Sheffield and Green Estate, a nonprofit urban landscaping organization, will perform the renovations under the guidance of Nigel Dunnett, Sheffield’s professor of planting design and vegetation technology. Dunnett’s past work includes designing pictorial meadows at London’s Olympic Park in 2012 and the award-winning show gardens at the 2013 Chelsea Flower Show.

“Working with the University of Sheffield and Green Estate on this important project gives us access to some of the country’s leading experts on sustainability, horticulture and urban design,” Mike says.

The beautified roundabouts will serve two purposes. They support local ecology by encouraging habitats for local wildlife and plants, and they require minimal maintenance, which aids in their long-term sustainability.

“Our success has been dependent on these local communities,” Mike says. “They are where our branches are located, where our employees work and live and where our customers need mobility. We look forward to working on what we hope will be a memorable project — both for us and for the communities where each roundabout is located.”