Current News

4/20/2012 - KeyPoint Government Solutions chooses Mercury to assist the company in conducting the preparation, evaluation, and negotiation of a Request for Proposal (RFP) for fleet management and leasing services. KeyPoint is a leading provider of investigative and risk mitigation services to government organizations, including the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Customs and Border Protection, and Department of Homeland Security.

4/20/2012 - Mercury selected to conduct a feasibility study of propane and CNG for use in BP Exploration (Alaska), Inc.'s North Slope vehicle fleet operation, as well as to understand and validate the compatibility and emission benefits of propane and natural gas vehicles. The study includes comparisons of capital asset replacement requirements to determine the “break-even” point for when specific vehicle classes should be replaced. BP Exploration Alaska is an “upstream” business unit of the BP Amoco Group Plc., and is engaged in the exploration, production, and development of oil and gas in Alaska.

2/2/2012 - Biogen Idec contracts with Mercury for a best practices study of all fleet operations with a focus on assessment of program strengths and weaknesses as well as identifying opportunities to reduce service costsand/or to improve service quality. Biogen Idec has a fleet of about 370 light duty vehicles; however, significant growth is expected.

2/2/2012 - Metra contracts with Mercury to assist the company in conducting the preparation, evaluation, and negotiation of a Request for Proposal (RFP) for fleet management and leasing services. Metra is a regional commuter rail agency serving the Chicago area. Its vehicle fleet is comprised of approximately 553 vehicles and trailers, ranging from passenger sedans and patrol cars to medium and heavy-duty trucks.

2/2/2012 - Genentech contracts with Mercury to assist the fleet department with the development of a draft fleet policy and procedure document to govern vehicles primarilyoperating on the company’s South San Francisco campus. Genentech has a diverse fleet of about 150 vehicles.

2/2/2012 - City of Medicine Hat contracts with Mercury to review the adequacy of fleet management system controls and practices; the extent to which fleet resources have been economically managed; and the effectiveness of the City’s internal cost charge-back methodologies. Located in southeast Alberta, Canada, the City has a fleet of 700 vehicles and 150 units of equipment.

2/2/2012 - Hoosier Energy contracts with Mercury to assist the company in conducting the preparation, evaluation, and negotiation of a Request for Proposal (RFP) for fleet management and leasing services. An additional project includes an assessment of the present mode of operation, identification of service and policy gaps, current internal administration costs, and assessment of the company’s fleet management information systems. Hoosier has a fleet of about 350 vehicles and 150 units of equipment.

1/4/2012 - Baldwin EMC, an electric cooperative based in southwest Alabama, selects Mercury to determine the optimal vehicle replacement cycles for selected types of vehicles in its fleet and to assess the benefits of standardizing its purchases of bucket and digger derrick trucks.

1/4/2012 - Loudoun County, Virginia Government and Loudoun County Schools select Mercury to conduct a comprehensive fleet management best practices study and fleet rightsizing study for a countywide fleet of 2,500 vehicles and pieces of equipment.

1/4/2012 - The State of Iowa Department of Administrative Services selects Mercury to assist it in assessing the feasibility of outsourcing short-term rental (i.e., motor) pool services to a commercial car rental company.

1/4/2012 - Gompers Habilitation Center in Phoenix, Arizona retains Mercury to conduct a best management practices review of its rapidly expanding wheelchair-equipped van fleet operation.

1/3/2012 - Pinellas County, Florida Fleet Management Division selects Mercury to conduct a fleet cost containment study and charge-back rate review. Severe budget constraints and County service-level cutbacks have reduced the size of the fleet and the demand for vehicle maintenance and repair and other services. The objective of this project is to assist the Division in identifying additional strategies and techniques for reducing its costs, and to update its charge-back rates to ensure that the County’s fleet management internal service fund remains solvent.

1/3/2012 - The National Cooperative Highway Research Program of the Transportation Research Board selects Mercury to conduct a research synthesis on state department of transportation fleet replacement financing and funding practices. The objective of the study is to assist state DOT equipment managers in better understanding the different ways in which states try to provide for the timely replacement of their DOT fleet assets, especially in the wake of the widespread budget cuts necessitated by the recent recession.

12/29/2011 - The City of Sacramento engages Mercury to conduct a fleet cost containment and efficiency improvement study for the Department of General Services, whose Fleet Management Division manages and maintains a fleet of approximately 2,400 units. The scope of the project includes conducting a cost of service analysis and evaluation of current charge-back rates relative to actual costs; an evaluation of long-term fleet replacement costs and alternative approaches to financing them; the determination of optimal replacement cycles for selected vehicle types; and an evaluation of fleet-related procurement and services delivery practices, all aimed at identifying both immediate and long-term cost savings.

12/29/2011 - The City of Harrisonburg, Virginia Public Transportation Department engages Mercury to conduct an assessment of the organization and staffing of its Central Garage, which maintains the City’s 600-unit fleet.

12/29/2011 - The County of Sacramento, California selects Mercury to conduct a fleet maintenance program competitiveness assessment. The Fleet Services Division of the Department of General Services manages and maintains a fleet of 3,200 vehicles and pieces of equipment. The scope of the project includes a review of the Division’s costs, cost charge-back rates, and all fleet maintenance and repair-related resources and business processes.

11/8/2011 – Mercury has been awarded a five-year Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) contract by the General Service Administration’s (GSA) Office of Governmentwide Policy. The purpose of the contract is to facilitate the efforts of Federal agencies in obtaining support for fulfilling the goals and requirements of a Presidential Memorandum, Federal Fleet Performance, released May 24, 2011. Working with GSA, Federal agencies can award Task Orders under the contract for support services relating to Vehicle Allocation Methodology (VAM) studies, lease vs. own analyses, life-cycle costing, replacement planning, agency fleet condition assessments, agency fleet operations, fleet management information systems, and policy and procedure development. The contract allows for task-specific projects or on-site staffing, as required.

10/20/2011 – The City of Tacoma, Washington selects Mercury to conduct a fleet rightsizing study of it utilities fleet. Mercury will employ its proprietary Vehicle Allocation Methodology (VAM) process to help the City save money through better use of vehicles and equipment. Tacoma is Washington state's third-largest city, with approximately 203,400 residents. Located at the base of Mount Rainier and along the shores of Commencement Bay, it is recognized as a business-oriented and progressive international city.

10/10/2011 – Mercury is selected by the City of Charlotte, North Carolina to conduct an assessment of existing asset management systems; Infor's Hansen and Spear 4i, Faster Asset Solutions' Faster Web, and Azteca's CityWorks. The focus of the project is to determine if opportunities exist to consolidate systems used to manage fleet assets. The City of Charlotte operates a fleet if over 6,000 assets, including light rail.

8/22/2011 – St. Louis Metropolitan Sewer District contracts with Mercury to conduct a comprehensive fleet maintenance program review. St. Louis MSD provides a full range of wastewater and stormwater services over a 500 square mile service area. The objective of the study is to evaluate current practices, organizational structure, staffing levels, and business processes and to identify opportunities for improvement. They operate a fleet of nearly 1,000 vehicles and pieces of equipment.

6/30/2011 - Colorado Springs Utilities engages Mercury to conduct a presentation on fleet replacement practices. Mercury had previously developed a long-term fleet replacement plan for the organization and was asked to present replacement financing alternatives to their finance committee.

6/10/2011 - Mercury selected by Rockwell Collins to assist with determining the best channel of distribution for the sales, promotion, public relations, installation, and servicing of the iForce, an integrated public safety vehicle solution, to state, local, and county law enforcement users. Headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Rockwell Collins has a market capitalization of $9.8 billion and annual sales of $4.7 billion.

6/10/2011 - Mercury to perform a best practices study to develop a single vehicle program for Schneider Electric's U.S. and Canadian business operations. Schneider offers employees choices between a company-provided vehicle program and employee-provided vehicle programs, which include a “FAVR” allowance program, as well as cents-per-mile reimbursement plans. The company operates a fleet of over 2,500 vehicles in the U.S. and Canada.

6/10/2011 - Mercury to assist Whiting Oil and Gas with assessing the appropriateness of its fleet leasing agreement and management practices. Whiting operates a fleet of about 300 light and medium-duty vehicles throughout the U.S and is headquartered in Denver, Colorado.

6/10/2011 - Mercury to provide Ecofrotas with a summary of the NAFA Fleet Management Association U.S. and Canadian educational programs to determine the extent that the material lends itself to the Brazilian market, including local laws and cultural differences. Headquartered in Sao Leopaldo, Brazil, Ecofrotas provides fleet management solutions with a drive toward sustainability. The company has a portfolio of 6,250 corporate customers and a combined fleet of 321,000 vehicles.

5/30/2011 - The State of Oregon Department of Administrative Services hires Mercury to conduct a comparative analysis of the DAS Fleet program and other similar state fleet organizations throughout the United States. The study focused on the 4,500 DAS managed light duty vehicles. The study also included a review of their fleet maintenance shop operations.

5/6/2011 - The City of Provo, Utah selects Mercury to conduct a fleet rightsizing study and to identify optimal replacement cycles for key types of vehicles and equipment in its fleet. The City of Provo has a population of approximately 125,000; making it the third largest city in the State of Utah. It is also the principal in Orem-Provo metro area, which boasts a population of 541,000.

5/6/2011 - The National Academy of Sciences’ National Cooperative Highway Research Program engages Mercury to conduct a workshop for a cross-section of highways and public work equipment management professionals and experts to identify research needs associated with improving equipment fleet maintenance practices.

5/6/2011 - The City of Phoenix, Arizona selects Mercury to review and recommend improvements to the cost charge-back rates and rate development model used by the Department of Public Works’ Equipment Management Division to recover the costs of maintaining and repairing the City’s fleet of more than 7,000 vehicles and pieces of equipment.

3/1/2011 – Mercury is hired to assist the City of Corpus Christi, Texas reduce costs by assessing the feasibility of outsourcing some or all fleet management functions. The project also includes an assessment of opportunities to reduce the size of the fleet.

2/25/2011 - Mercury - Runzheimer team has been awarded a new contract with the U.S. Department of State, a five-year BPA (Blanket Purchase Agreement; base + four option years) that broadens the scope of services of previous contracts and includes fleet consulting services, conduct special studies, vehicle allocation methodology (VAM), regulatory compliance, benchmarking, and general support.

2/15/2011 - The State of California engages Mercury to right size its 50,000 unit fleet. Project includes analyzing utilization data, surveying fleet users, developing recommendations to right size and right type the fleet, and presenting results to state officials. Savings projections for this project exceed $10 million.

2/8/2011 – American Relocation Connections engaged Mercury to assist in developing a concept Statement of Work and proposal for a business development opportunity with a federal government prospect.

1/30/2011 - The City of Boston’s Central Fleet Management organization hired Mercury Associates to conduct a facilities capacity study. The purpose of the study was to determine total fleet maintenance shop space requirements to maintain their diverse fleet of 1,200 units. The study included a review of the current 60,000SF shop and determination of the total amount of space needed to adequately maintain the fleet. The study also included operational improvement recommendations to obtain better use of the current shop configuration.

1/30/2011 - The City Hyattsville, Maryland hired Mercury Associates to review the effectiveness of their current decentralized fleet management and maintenance program. The focus of the study was to determine whether a consolidated fleet organization would be able to provide a higher level of service at a lower cost.

1/7/2011 – Summit Relocation engaged Mercury to assist in developing a proposal to submit to the U.S. General Services Administration for a contract under Schedule 48 Transportation, Delivery, and Relocation Services (TDRS).

1/3/2011 – The City of Saint John, New Brunswick engages Mercury to conduct a comprehensive study of their fleet operations. Saint John is the largest province of New Brunswick and is the oldest incorporated city in Canada. The initial project focused on three essential elements of their fleet program: governance, business processes, and maintenance operations. During the course of the study, several maintenance and management practice improvements were recommended. It was also determined that there was an opportunity to reduce the size of the fleet which would lead to lowering overall fleet costs. A formal fleet right sizing study was conducted and several underutilized fleet assets were identified and eliminated from the fleet.

1/3/2011 - Mercury executes a contract with Danella Companies, a large equipment rental company headquartered in Pennsylvania, to implement and host an enterprise fleet management system (CollectiveFleet).