US firm snapped up by CTM

Corporate Travel Management has grown its US stable with the US$10.3 million acquisition of Texas and Louisiana-based TravelCorp, effective May 1.

The firm has offices in New Orleans, Houston, Fort Worth, Baton Rouge and Lafayette with more than 80 staff.

CTM managing director Jamie Pherous said the new addition is a "strong strategic fit" for CTM's longer term growth plans to have core locations in North America, Asia and Europe.

"Combining TravelCorp with our successful existing USA business will allows us to better leverage our combined buying power, client-facing solutions and support expertise moving forward," he said.

The addition of TravelCorp is expected to take CTM's North American TTV for the 2014 financial year to US$350 million, with both Texas and Louisiana highlighted as "high growth regions" by Pherous.

"The oil and gas industries which exist in these areas are complementary to our Australia client base and to our expertise in the mining, oil and gas sectors," he said.

In operation for 11 years, TravelCorp has 250 local, national and global clients with 80% in corporate, 15% in leisure and 5% in MICE. Its sales TTV as of December 2012 was US$120 million.

Its chief executive officer, Scott Evans, said the deal would allow the US firm to "enhance" its product and service offering.

"By expanding our global footprint, TravelCorp will add new opportunities to network international clients and work with CTM to support their US-based clients as well," he said.

TravelCorp will become TravelCorp CTM from May 1.