Ryder System, Inc. (NYSE: R), a leader in commercial transportation and supply chain management solutions, announced today that it has been selected by UBCR, LLC as its fleet partner in a Michigan natural gas project that includes 16 heavy duty natural gas vehicles, upgrades to two maintenance facilities, and the construction of two new natural gas fueling stations.
UBCR, formed out of a joint venture between Schupan and Sons, Inc. and Tomra North America, operates a single source solution for the collection, transportation and processing of aluminum cans, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and glass beverage containers from Michigan’s largest grocery retailers. The natural gas project is partially funded by a grant to UBCR through the Michigan Clean Cities Coalition and when complete, will displace 380,000 gallons of diesel fuel annually with domestically produced low carbon natural gas.
Through the project, UBCR will be converting its entire 16-vehicle fleet to compressed natural gas vehicles, leased from and maintained by Ryder. To support UBCR’s fleet operations, Ryder will retrofit two of its existing maintenance facilities in Livonia and Grand Rapids, Michigan, for the proper and safe indoor servicing of natural gas vehicles. This is Ryder’s first natural gas project with UBCR, and the latest in a series of new natural gas vehicle projects announced with customers in various markets including Southern California and Arizona.
“As a leading recycling company, this important carbon reduction initiative complements our long standing growth strategy which is grounded in sustainability, and Ryder’s alternative fuel expertise and infrastructure in the market were key factors driving our decision to select them as our fleet partner,” said Marc Schupan, CEO for Schupan & Sons, Inc. “Ryder is making it easier to jumpstart our sustainable transportation program and convert our entire UBCR fleet to abundant, clean, and efficient natural gas.”
“Ryder became the first fleet provider to offer heavy-duty natural gas vehicles for the leasing and rental industry through our ground-breaking natural gas vehicle project with the San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG) in Southern California,” said Robert Sanchez, President of Global Fleet Management Solutions for Ryder. “This project in Michigan leverages that experience and demonstrates our ability to bring real-world environmental benefits to other markets.”
According to Harald Henriksen, President of Tomra North America, “We are environmentally centric and have assumed a responsibility to employees and the communities that we serve, to reduce our carbon footprint. Natural gas powered trucks helps us achieve carbon reduction objectives with the advantage of being economically practical.”
In addition, UBCR is working with DTE Energy, to construct fueling stations in Wixom and Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Grand Rapids fueling location will provide for public access to natural gas fueling, while theWixom location will be a dedicated station to support UBCR’s fleet operations.
“DTE Energy is committed to the safe supply and distribution of clean burning natural gas,” said Jerry Norcia, President and COO of Michigan Consolidated Gas Co., DTE Energy’s natural gas subsidiary. “We are proud to support this project which will help UBCR leverage the environmental and cost saving benefits of natural gas.”
UBCR will take delivery of the compressed natural gas vehicles in December 2011. Its fleet supports an around-the-clock operation that recovers used beverage containers annually from major retailers within a 200-mile radius of its Wixom and Grand Rapids locations. UBCR’s services meet the unique deposit container pickup and processing needs of soft drink and beer/wine wholesalers as part of the Michigan Beverage Associations’ Third Party Container Pickup and Processing Program.
For more information about UBCR, visit www.ubcrllc.com.
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 a top third party logistics provider and included Ryder in its 2010 and 2011 “Green Partners” listing. Ryder also ranked 111th out of the top 500 U.S. companies and fifth in its industry sector in the 2011 Newsweek Green Rankings. Ryder is a charter member of the NGV Fleet Forum and a member of the Department of Energy’s National Clean Fleets partnership. Ryder is also 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.
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.
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Source: Ryder System, Inc./ Schupan Recycling
