The Hertz Corporation Adopts OEConnection Technology to Speed Vehicle Repair Process

RICHFIELD, Ohio, Sept. 9, 2008 - The Hertz Corporation, the world's largest general use car rental brand and a leader in U.S.-based airport location car rentals, has implemented OEConnection LLC's, CollisionLink solution in more than 100 Hertz airport locations throughout the U.S. CollisionLink is OEConnection's ecommerce technology designed to facilitate fast, accurate online procurement of original equipment auto parts for vehicles that have been involved in an accident. Tested at Hertz locations that manage their own vehicle damage estimates, CollisionLink has proven to save significant time on collision repairs enabling vehicles to quickly return into Hertz's rental fleet.

"Fast, efficient repair is critical to the rental car industry," stated Joseph Nothwang, Hertz President, the Americas and Pacific. "Every day a rental vehicle sits in a body shop is a day it's not in the rental fleet earning revenue. Hertz has been aggressively reengineering its business and CollisionLink plays an integral role in that process. CollisionLink reduces the time it takes to repair damaged vehicles by expediting the procurement of the right parts from the initial stages of the repair process. It's a simple solution that positively impacts Hertz's bottom line by rapidly getting cars back into our rental fleet."

Added Mark Tomasetti, Vice President of OEConnection, "We're pleased that Hertz is incorporating CollisionLink crash parts ordering as an essential part of their fleet repair process. CollisionLink is a natural fit for the way Hertz does business. CollisionLink streamlines the parts ordering process for Hertz's damage writers while helping auto dealerships supplying OE parts service Hertz more efficiently."

In conjunction with the national rollout, Hertz is implementing CollisionLink as a Standard Operating Procedure within their collision repair estimating process. CollisionLink automatically extracts collision repair system estimates already in use by Hertz damage estimators and seamlessly converts repair estimates into complete, accurate parts orders which are electronically submitted to participating dealerships. Dealership parts personnel can then begin immediate order fulfillment helping to shorten lag time between parts delivery and vehicle repair.

According to Tomasetti, "CollisionLink also has the ability to validate the order against the vehicle VIN helping ensure the correct part, or part assembly, is ordered. This process helps reduce and/or eliminate time-consuming and costly supplemental orders that can delay a vehicle's swift return to rental status."

Hertz's adoption of CollisionLink as a standard operating procedure joins with the thousands of other consolidators, independent repair centers and fleet service locations in adopting CollisionLink.