- First of Three Maintenance Facilities in Southern California That
Will Service Ryder’s Fleet of 202 Heavy-Duty Natural Gas Powered
Vehicles Available for Rent and Lease by Ryder Customers -
RANCHO DOMINGUEZ, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Ryder System, Inc. (NYSE: R) celebrated the grand opening of its first
natural gas vehicle maintenance facility and took an initial delivery of
natural gas vehicles in Southern California on Wednesday, May 4, 2011.
The celebration took place at Ryder’s Rancho Dominguez commercial truck
rental, leasing, and maintenance facility, located at 1980 East
University Drive in Rancho Dominguez. The opening of the Rancho
Dominguez facility marks the first facility completed under the
Ryder/SANBAG Natural Gas Vehicle (NGV) project, a $38.7 million project
funded as part of a joint public/private industry partnership between
the U.S. Department of Energy, the California Energy Commission, and
Ryder System, Inc. Located in an industrialized region of Eastern Los
Angeles County, the modified Ryder Rancho Dominguez facility now meets
stringent industry and government safety standards for natural gas
maintenance including upgrades of electrical, lighting, air handling and
ventilation systems.
Ryder takes delivery of first heavy duty natural gas vehicles. (Left is LNG, right is CNG) (Photo: Business Wire)
When fully implemented, the Ryder/SANBAG project will include two
natural gas fuelling stations and three maintenance facilities – the one
at Rancho Dominguez and two additional Ryder locations in the City of
Orange in Orange County and Fontana in San Bernardino County. As part of
the Ryder/SANBAG project, Ryder will deploy a total of 202 heavy-duty
natural gas vehicles in the region. The vehicles include 182
Freightliner M2-112 tractors featuring the Cummins ISL-G engine, in both
single-axle and tandem-axel day cab configurations, as well as a mix of
other natural gas truck platforms. At completion, the Ryder/SANBAG
project will displace more than 1.5 million gallons of diesel annually
with 100 percent domestically produced low-carbon natural gas.
“The completion of Rancho Dominguez as a natural gas-compliant
maintenance facility is a critical milestone demonstrating Ryder’s
commitment to alternative fuel vehicle use,” stated Robert Sanchez,
President, Global Fleet Management Solutions for Ryder. “We are excited
that Ryder customers will now be able to start taking advantage of this
cost-effective and clean alternative energy source.”
“The Ryder/SANBAG project represents a tremendous opportunity to
introduce our 1,200 commercial customers in Southern California to a new
innovative, efficient, and environmentally-sound fleet solution,” said
Alex Madrinkian, Vice President of Sales for Ryder’s West Region. “We
see a great deal of interest from customers and prospects in the region
that are looking to integrate natural gas technology into their fleets.”
Ryder executives were joined by customers; project partners San
Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG), Southern California
Association of Governments (SCAG), U.S. Department of Energy, the
California Energy Commission (CEC), and Gladstein, Neandross &
Associates (GNA); and key members of stakeholder groups at the ribbon
cutting ceremony commemorating the the opening of Ryder’s first facility
modified for the indoor servicing of natural gas vehicles and the
initial delivery of heavy-duty natural gas vehicles. By the end of May
there will be approximately 70 heavy-duty natural gas vehicles domiciled
at the Rancho Dominguez facility.
The ribbon cutting ceremony featured remarks from the various project
partners and government agencies that have supported and provided
funding for the Ryder/SANBAG NGV project since its inception in 2009.
Speakers included:
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Alex Madrinkian, Vice President of Sales, Ryder System, Inc.;
-
Scott Perry, Group Director of Vehicle Supply Management, Ryder
System, Inc.;
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Larry McCallon, SANBAG Vice-President and Southern California
Association of Governments President;
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Dennis Smith, National Clean Cities Director, U.S. Department of
Energy;
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Peter Ward, Alternative Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program,
California Energy Commission;
-
Erik Neandross, Chief Executive Officer, Gladstein, Neandross &
Associates.
“With 202 new heavy-duty natural gas trucks being deployed across three
locations, and with the construction of two publicly accessible natural
gas fueling stations, this project will allow for the continued growth
of ultra low emission natural gas vehicles throughout Southern
California, contributing to improved air quality, reduced greenhouse gas
emissions, and a lessened dependence upon petroleum fuels for
transportation,” said SANBAG President and San Bernardino County First
District Supervisor, Brad Mitzelfelt.
About Ryder
Ryder is a FORTUNE 500® commercial transportation, logistics and supply
chain management solutions company. Ryder’s stock (NYSE:R) is a
component of the Dow Jones Transportation Average and the Standard &
Poor’s 500 Index. Inbound Logistics magazine has recognized Ryder
as the top third party logistics provider and included Ryder in its 2010
“50 Green Partners” listing. Ryder also ranked 114 out of the top 500
U.S. companies and sixth in its industry sector in the 2010 Newsweek
Green Rankings. Security Magazine has named Ryder one of the top
companies for security practices in the transportation, logistics,
supply chain, and warehousing sector. Ryder is a proud member of the
American Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program, supporting national
and local disaster preparedness and response efforts. For more
information on Ryder System, Inc., visit www.ryder.com.
About SANBAG
SANBAG is the council of governments and transportation planning agency
for San Bernardino County. SANBAG is responsible for cooperative
regional planning and furthering an efficient multi-modal transportation
system countywide. SANBAG serves the two million residents of San
Bernardino County. SANBAG supports freeway construction projects,
regional and local road improvements, commuter rail and bus transit,
freeway service patrol, ridesharing and congestion management efforts.
SANBAG administers Measure I, the half-cent transportation sales tax
approved by county voters in 1989 and again in 2004. For more
information on SANBAG, visit www.sanbag.ca.gov.
About SCAG
The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) is the
nation's largest metropolitan planning organization, representing six
counties, 190 cities and more than 19 million residents. SCAG undertakes
a variety of planning and policy initiatives to encourage a more
sustainable Southern California now and in the future. For more
information about SCAG projects, plans, services and initiatives, visit www.scag.ca.gov.
About Gladstein, Neandross & Associates
With headquarters in Santa Monica, California, and in New York, New
York, Gladstein, Neandross & Associates (GNA) is one of the nation’s
leading environmental consulting firms specializing in emission
reduction, energy and transportation policy, carbon management, and
market development for clean, alternative fuel and efficient vehicle
technologies. GNA works with businesses, governments and communities to
expand markets for environmentally responsible products and services and
to develop strategies and raise awareness about projects and
technologies that promote a sustainable economy, environment and
communities. Over the last 15 years, GNA has successfully secured over
$210 million on behalf of its clients and the multiple clean energy and
transportation technology projects on which it has collaborated.
Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: Certain statements and
information included in this news release are "forward-looking
statements" within the meaning of the Federal Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are
based on our current plans and expectations and are subject to risks,
uncertainties and assumptions. Accordingly, these forward-looking
statements should be evaluated with consideration given to the many
risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and events to
differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements including
those risks set forth in our periodic filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. New risks emerge from time to time. It is not
possible for management to predict all such risk factors or to assess
the impact of such risks on our business. Accordingly, we undertake no
obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements,
whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Acknowledgment: This material is based upon work supported by the
Department of Energy under Award Number DE-EE0002173.
Disclaimer: This was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an
agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States
Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any
warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or
responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any
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imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States
Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors
expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United
States Government or any agency thereof.
CEC Disclaimer:
LEGAL NOTICE: This document was prepared as a result of work sponsored
by the California Energy Commission. It does not necessarily represent
the views of the Energy Commission, its employees, or the State of
California. The Commission, the State of California, its employees,
contractors, and subcontractors make no warranty, express or implied,
and assume no legal liability for the information in this document; nor
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Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6711560&lang=en
Source: Ryder System, Inc.