EMKAY Named a Best and Brightest in Chicago for 5th Straight Year
After taking home a 4th straight Best and Brightest in the Nation honor back in January, EMKAY followed that up with our 5th straight selection as one of the Best and Brightest in Chicago! This award recognizes companies that continually display a commitment to excellence and we are very grateful to have received this great honor.
“A positive work environment not only benefits our employees, but also our customers and community. We are incredibly proud of our team’s efforts to create and foster an environment in which employees can excel both personally and professionally, stated Brad Vliek, Vice President of Client Services at EMKAY.
About the Best and Brightest Programs
The Best and Brightest Companies to Work For® competition identifies and honors organizations that display a commitment to excellence in operations and employee enrichment that lead to increased productivity and financial performance. This competition scores potential winners based on regional data of company performance and a set standard across the nation. This national program celebrates those companies that are making better business, creating richer lives and building a stronger community as a whole.
FCA recalls 4.8 million vehicles with the potential of getting stuck in cruise control
The issue was discovered when a vehicle automatically accelerated while in cruise control mode in order to maintain the set speed. FCA advised that this type of acceleration could cause a short circuit which would then lock the vehicle in cruise control. This may result in the typical cruise control cancelling methods (i.e. braking or hitting the off switch) to not disengage the system. Drivers can still slow down by shifting into neutral or braking, but the latter may not disengage the system.
FCA is advising owners of impacted vehicles to bring them into dealerships for a free of charge software update that should prevent the short circuit from occurring. Until that can be completed, the manufacturer is directing owners to not use the cruise control system.
The vehicles impacted by this issue are all gas-powered engines with automatic transmissions. The full list is as follows:
2015-17 Chrysler 200 sedan
2014-18 Chrysler 300 sedan
2014-18 Dodge Charger sedan
2014-18 Dodge Durango SUV
2014-18 Dodge Journey crossover
2014-18 Jeep Cherokee SUV
2014-18 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV
2014-18 Ram 2500 pickup
2014-18 Ram 3500 cab chassis
2014-18 Ram 3500 pickup
2014-18 Ram 4500/5500 cab chassis
2014-19 Ram 1500 pickup
2015-18 Dodge Challenger coupe
2017-18 Chrysler Pacifica minivan
2018 Jeep Wrangler
A link to the official press release on FCA’s website is below:
EMKAY has completed the purchase of over 1,960,000 kWh of Renewal Energy Attributes from Direct Energy Business. This purchase of wind energy credits means that EMKAY’s headquarters will run on completely renewable energy at least through 2020.
We are very proud of our company’s extensive efforts to support environmental protection through the use of renewable energy, by helping to restore wildlife refuges, and by taking numerous steps to reduce the environmental footprint of our corporate headquarters.
Direct Energy Business is part of a leading energy and energy-related services provider that is focused on helping customers make their business better. Through energy choice and a suite of innovative products and services, customers can buy less electricity and natural gas and better manage the impact of energy on their budget and operations.
May 2018
2019 Silverado Offering a 4-Cylinder Turbo
As the full-size pickup MPG battles rages on, GM made the next move by offering a 2.7-liter turbo 4-cylinder engine. This makes the Silverado the only full-size pickup to offer a 4-cylinder engine. This will replace the 4.3L V-6 and is said to produce 310-hp and 348 lb.-ft. of torque. These numbers are better than the aforementioned V-6 by 25 horses and 43 lb.-ft., so this small engine packs a punch.
Fuel economy ratings have yet to be released, but it’s natural to expect them to be better than the V-6 that was running at 18-city and 24-highway.
The V-8 offerings will also be equipped with GM’s new fuel-management system that will deactivate cylinders as needed. The previous system had the ability to convert the V-8’s to 4 cylinder engines when the amount of torque needed was low. The updated system can deactivate all eight cylinders, resulting in 17 different firing fractions and increasing overall fuel economy.
Apr 2018
EMKAY Releases All-New Fleet Dashboard
An extensive overhaul of EMKAY’s Fleet Dashboard is now complete and the new features are ready for use! Thanks to a lot of hard work on the part of our IT department, our customers now have complete control over their fleet data.
Our new layout enables you to customize exactly what you see upon logging in, ensuring that you stay up-to-date on the most important aspects of your fleet. Not only can you customize what you see on the fleet dashboard, but you can also tailor the data to be incredibly specific, down to different makes and models.
Not an EMKAY Customer? Get in touch with us to see how we’re changing the way fleet operates!
The Trump administration has announced plans to disband a program instituted by the Obama administration, the EPA’s vehicle fuel economy standards aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
A Change in Plans
The Obama-era plan would have affected vehicles produced from 2022-2025. The plan required manufactures to increase their fleet mpg ratings to 55 miles per gallon by 2025. This isn’t to say that all vehicles produced would need to average this, but the average of manufacturer’s entire fleet would need to. So the combined mpg ratings of their hybrids, trucks, cars, vans, etc. would have needed to average 55mpg. Specifics of the new regulations are not known at this time.
The pull-back of this plan should result in manufacturers continuing to focus on producing more SUV’s and crossovers, which are the fastest growing segments in current markets. It should also help vehicle production costs to remain stable, pending the ongoing tariff discussions, resulting in vehicle prices to do the same. However, as we’ve seen time and time again, the volatility of the oil industry could quickly change buyer habits.
California Nightmares
The state of California is the 6th largest economy in the world. And with 34.7 million registered vehicles, it’s safe to assume that their regulations have an impact on vehicle manufacturers.
While the federal government sets the fuel economy standards for the country, California has some special privileges. Since the 1970 signing of the Clean Air Act, California has had the authority to set their own vehicle emissions standards because of the extremely poor air quality in areas of the state. The Obama administration aligned national standards with those of California, meaning vehicles could be sold in every state without issue.
With the EPA’s announcement of these new rules, there’s a disconnect that could result in some confusion. If the two entities cannot agree on new standards, automakers could be in a precarious situation. Do they simply follow CA regulations and apply them to their vehicles across the country, thus ignoring the new EPA rules? Do they produce special vehicles for CA? Or do they not sell certain vehicles in CA?
In an attempt to avoid this issue, the EPA is now targeting the waiver that enables the California to enforce its own rules. A battle between the two entities is expected, a battle that could very well shape the fuel economy standards for the rest of the country.
Time Will Tell
It will be very interesting to see what the new rules for fuel economy ratings end up being. Though it may be even more interesting to see California and vehicle manufacturers respond to them. The Obama-era plan was criticized by auto manufacturers for a number of reasons, but a non-alignment between California and the EPA could make things even more difficult for them.
Mar 2018
EMKAY Helping to Restore Depleted Wildlife Refuges
Since 2010, EMKAY has been contributing to The Conservation Fund in order to help restore our depleted National Parks and Wildlife Refuges.
Over these eight years EMKAY has helped to plant 4,259 trees, resulting in the restoration of 14 acres throughout Wildlife Refuges in Louisiana, Missouri, and Kansas. The Conservation fund estimates that these trees will help to trap an estimated 4,625 metric tons of carbon dioxide as they mature.
We are very proud of this initiative, as the responsibility of conserving natural resources is on individuals and corporations alike. In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, “The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.”
EMKAY Continues Stevie Success with Three Awards for 2018
After being named a finalist in multiple categories at the 2018 Stevie Awards, EMKAY has received the following honors!
Sales Achievement of the Year – Silver
Back-Office Customer Service Team of the Year – Bronze
Award for Innovation in Sales – Bronze
This marks the tenth consecutive year in which EMKAY has received multiple honors at the Stevie Awards. We are very proud of our team’s extensive efforts in order to make these awards possible. The culture at EMKAY is centered on innovation, and awards such as these help to validate our team’s efforts to provide a truly unique customer experience.
Jan 2018
EMKAY a Best and Brightest in the Nation for Fourth Straight Year
The National Association for Business Resources named EMKAY as one of the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For in the Nation for the 4th consecutive year! This is the sixth time EMKAY has been selected as a Best and Brightest in the Nation.
We are extremely proud of the innovative culture at EMKAY and will continually strive to remain a truly great company to work for. A positive work environment not only benefits our employees, but also our customers and community.
About the Best and Brightest Programs
The Best and Brightest Companies to Work For® competition identifies and honors organizations that display a commitment to excellence in operations and employee enrichment that lead to increased productivity and financial performance. This competition scores potential winners based on regional data of company performance and a set standard across the nation. This national program celebrates those companies that are making better business, creating richer lives and building a stronger community as a whole.
Green Commercial Vehicle Program Established in Ontario
A Green Commercial Vehicle Program is set to begin in Ontario. The Government of Ontario has announced that this program will offer rebates for the purchase of alternative fuel vehicles as well as fuel savings devices (side skirts, boat tails, cab heater and coolers, auxiliary power units, etc…). A breakdown of the available incentives is as follows:
The incentive program is part of Ontario’s Climate Change Action Plan, much of which is centered on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and our carbon footprint. Steven Del Duca, the Minister of Transportation, said in a statement that “We’re committed to working with our partners and local businesses to modernize the way we do business and keep Ontario an attractive and sustainable place to work.”
“This investment will make it easier for businesses with commercial fleets to purchase and use alternative-fuel vehicles and fuel-saving devices,” said Chris Ballard, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change. Applications will be accepted beginning early 2018. For more information on the available incentives, visit the Ministry of Transportation’s website:
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