FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:    Marilyn Rawlings, Lee County Fleet Management
                (941) 338-3233

FORT MYERS, Fla. (October 25, 2001) – Lee County Fleet Management has been recognized as the second most efficient fleet operation in the United States, according to a nationally recognized fleet analyst and an article he has written in the October issue of Automotive Fleet magazine.

Rounding out the top 10 fleets are: Everett, Washington (1); King County, Seattle, Washington (3); Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio (4); Chatham County, Savannah, Georgia (5); Montgomery County, Rockville, Maryland (6); City of Anaheim, California (7); City of Little Rock, Arkansas (8); Adams County, Colorado (9); and the District of Columbia (10).

The list is put together by Tom Johnson of CCG Systems. Johnson has analyzed more than 3,500 fleet departments, both public and private, in his 21 years as a fleet analyst and independent consultant. He currently is working on his second book, "The 100 Best Fleets in America."

Johnson rates fleets by seven common qualities: A High Trust Culture, High Technology, Acknowledgment of Accomplishments, Accountability, Collaboration, Creativity, and Celebration.

Lee County Government’s Fleet Management Division maintains more than 1,200 vehicles that are used by the county’s 25 departments and divisions each day in providing services to residents. The fleet includes everything from passenger cars, light duty trucks and commercial work vans to ambulances, graders and super-duty construction trucks and equipment. The division employees 25 and has an annual operating budget of $4.8 million. Among its accomplishments:

• It was the first fleet in Florida to completely eliminate hazardous waste from its operations by recycling, using environmentally safe materials and modifying operations procedures.

• In 1998, Division Director Marilyn Rawlings was nominated by Automotive Fleet magazine as "Fleet Manager of the Year."

• In July of this year, 24 Fleet Management employees successfully completed an 11-week leadership-training course.

• The county maintains a state-of-the-art fleet management software system to track inventory, fuel, operations and maintenance.

Tom Johnson can be reached at 415-285-8391.