Johnson & Johnson (J&J), a global manufacturer of healthcare products, is in the business of caring. Founded in 1886, J&J's fundamental objective is to produce high-quality products and services to help heal, cure disease, and improve the quality of life.

J&J's current fleet goals to reduce fuel consumption and diminish greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions echo a corporate concern for environment and the earth's natural resources.

Suzanne Gallagher, commodity manager, and Louise Davis-Lopez, fleet manager, are responsible for the comprehensive management of the company's U.S. fleet, which numbers more than 11,000 vehicles.

According to Gallagher, the company's long-standing corporate green policy guides "the way we perform our work responsibilities on a day-to-day basis."

"In 2005, we tapped our existing relationship with Toyota, the emergent leader of fleet-friendly hybrids at the time, to consider a plan to accommodate our short- and longer-term needs," says Davis-Lopez.

The company's initial 2005 goal was to incorporate 200 hybrid vehicles in its fleet. Currently, J&J operates about 1,400 hybrids from a number of OEMs. By 2010, J&J plans to have 5,000 hybrid vehicles in fleet. "If it wasn't for the partnership/cooperation of the manufacturers, and the commitment of our sales organizations to achieve the goals, we wouldn't be here today," adds Davis-Lopez.

"We have a set mpg requirement that we provide to the OEMs when we go through our bidding event for new model-year vehicles," says Gallagher, who personally drives a hybrid.

The company's fleet goal is to achieve a 36.4 mpg average in 2010, a 30-percent absolute GHG reduction compared to 2003. "We do other things to get to our goal of 36.4 mpg," says Davis-Lopez. "Our sales organizations understand the importance of the commitment to 'green the fleet,' and we are counting on behavioral changes to positively influence mpg performance."

Additionally, the J&J fleet now includes nearly 1,000 E-85 vehicles, 3,000 four-cylinder vehicles, and 1,300 five-cylinder vehicles. In the past, the fleet operated six-cylinder vehicles. "So you can see a trend going another way," notes Davis-Lopez.

J&J's new-vehicle selection is cooperatively developed with J&J Worldwide Health & Safety and is guided by several key factors. Although safety always tops the list, environmental desirability also ranks high, valuing both efficiency and cost effectiveness.

According to Davis-Lopez, company employees who drive the fleet's hybrids — sales reps, district managers, retail managers — choose whether to drive the fuel-saving vehicles. "They like the fact that they don't have to gas up as much, so it saves time and increases productivity," says Davis-Lopez.