St. Louis, Missouri
March 2, 2007
The
Donald Danforth Plant
Science Center today announced that Jack and Susan Taylor
have given a $25 million gift to create the Enterprise
Rent-A-Car Institute for Renewable Fuels. The Institute is named
for the company founded by Jack Taylor in 1957 and still owned
by the Taylor family.
The Enterprise Rent-A-Car Institute will expand the scientific
expertise of the Danforth Center to speed up development of
plant-based renewable biofuels. These fuels will decrease the
level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and reduce the
current dependency on finite fossil fuels in future years.
“We are very grateful to Jack and Susan Taylor for their
generous gift to expand the Danforth Center’s basic research in
plant science and address the growing need for biofuels,” said
Danforth Center Chairman Dr. William H. Danforth. “This gift
establishes a truly unique partnership to address an important
issue for future generations by utilizing the latest advances in
plant science.”
The $25 million gift will endow a team of researchers to
significantly expand the Danforth Center’s renewable bio-fuels
research capabilities. It comes on the heels of Enterprise’s
pledge to underwrite the planting of 50 million trees in
national forests over the next 50 years – a commitment of $50
million in today’s dollars.
“For 50 years, this company that my father built from the ground
up has relied on the availability of vehicles and fuel,” said
Andrew C. Taylor, chairman and CEO of Enterprise Rent-A-Car.
“Today, more than ever, it is essential that we pursue new
energy sources that will sustain not only our business, but also
the environment around us for future generations. The creation
of the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Institute for Renewable Fuels sends
a clear message that my family and our company are committed to
help address this critical public need.”
A distinguished scientific leader with strong credentials in
renewable biofuels research will be recruited to direct the
Enterprise Rent-A-Car Institute. The Danforth Center will also
recruit 12 additional new scientists during the next three years
who will join 18 current Danforth scientists to engage in
research at the Institute.
“The issue of growing plants to provide a source of food while
at the same time meeting our increasing demand for renewable
energy is of greater concern each day,” said Roger N. Beachy,
president of the Danforth Center. “This commitment from Jack and
Susan Taylor will advance our efforts to unlock novel scientific
ideas that ultimately will lead to renewable biofuels that are
plentiful and cost-effective.”
This is the second sizable gift the Taylor family has made to
the Danforth Center, and it completes the Center’s Campaign for
a Green Future, a $100 million campaign launched in 2004 with a
$50 million matching grant from the Danforth Foundation. In
September 2005, Jack and Susan Taylor gave $10 million to the
Center, which was at that time the largest gift to the campaign.
Today’s $25 million gift will be matched by the Danforth
Foundation, thus completing the initial round of fundraising for
the endowment.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car operates more than 878,000 rental and
fleet management vehicles worldwide and has annual revenues of
$9 billion. Last year, Enterprise opened more than 400 new
locations, increasing its total locations to more than 7,000.
Enterprise is currently number 21 on the Forbes “500 Largest
Private Companies in America” list. The company has been
recognized by J.D. Power and Associates as ranking highest in
customer satisfaction among airport rental car companies in
seven of the last eight years. For more information about
Enterprise visit
www.enterprise.com.
Founded in 1998, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is a
not-for-profit research institute with a global vision to
improve the human condition through plant science. Research at
the Danforth Center is designed to feed the hungry and improve
human health, preserve and renew the environment, and enhance
the St. Louis region as a world center for plant science. Please
visit
www.danforthcenter.org for additional information. |
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