(July 2, 2010) DEARBORN, Mich. — Safety-Kleen Systems, the leading provider of environmental services, oil re-refining and responsible cleaning solutions, is replacing 140 large cargo vans in its national sales fleet with the Ford Transit Connect.

Through its products and services, Safety-Kleen enables other businesses to fulfill their green initiatives.

The purchase of 140 units of Transit Connect will help the company achieve one of its green initiatives as well, according to Dan Kratz, director of Fleet Operations, Safety-Kleen.

"Replacing older cargo vans with new, more fuel-efficient vehicles is part of an initiative to green our fleet," he said. "The Ford Transit Connect offers significant fuel savings over traditional cargo vans — 24 mpg versus 15 mpg. We also anticipate having less maintenance costs because the oil change intervals are longer with the Transit Connect."

According to John Ruppert, general manager, Ford Commercial and Government Fleet Operations, Safety-Kleen's choice to use Transit Connect to advance its sustainability strategy underscores the versatility of the vehicle.

"As we continue to engage existing and new customers, the Ford Transit Connect continues to find more and more applications across different businesses," he said. "Safety-Kleen is another example of a commercial customer realizing the benefits of the vehicle and its capability to deliver on the green pillar of Ford's product innovation."