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by Jeff Bollig —
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Acendas Travel, with headquarters co-located in Minneapolis and Kansas City, has expanded with the acquisition of Travel Partners, a Sioux Falls, S.D. vacation travel agency.
The deal is effective immediately.
While current Acendas Travel staff will assume various operational aspects through the purchase, Travel Partners will retain its name and remain as a stand-alone agency. The previous owner Mary Jo Nelson will continue to serve as the manager, while the existing staff will stay on board.
“This is a positive move for our clients and Travel Partners,” Nelson said. “We looked at our future needs and determined that in order to continue to provide the best service to our customers and to stay competitive, we needed additional resources. Acendas Travel is the perfect partner because its philosophy matches ours and it is a recognized leader in the industry.”
Nelson purchased Jack Rabbit Tour and Travel in 2000, after working there 12 years as an agent, and renamed it Travel Partners. She has been a part of the travel industry for 42 years.
“We are excited to have the Travel Partners team come under the Acendas Travel umbrella and look forward to continuing to serve the Sioux Falls market,” Acendas Travel President Brent Blake said. “We have a focus on growth, but only if it is a good fit. Travel Partners is not only a good fit, it is a great fit.”
The move continues an expanding presence of Acendas Travel operations. It began with the acquisition of Vanguard Travel in Minneapolis in 2010. The Minnesota growth continued by folding in Gateway Express Travel (2012), Interlachen Travel (2013) and most recently Edina Travel (2016).
Acendas Travel was founded in Kansas City in 1982. In 2001, Acendas Travel became a joint venture with BCD Travel, the third largest purchaser of corporate travel in the United States. This allows Acendas and its clients access to leading technology, travel discounts and a variety of resources.