Rearden Commerce today announced a three-year reseller deal with the United Kingdom's Advantage Focus Partnership, a division of Advantage Business Travel that includes 77 member agencies managing more than $1 billion worth of business travel, said Rearden U.K. regional director Matt Beck.
The partnership lays "the foundation for further expansion into European markets" with the signing of Rearden's third core distribution partner in the region after American Express and CTMS, a Canadian company with offices in the United Kingdom and United States, Beck said. The Advantage Focus agencies will sell Rearden's combined travel, procurement and expense reporting solutions.
"From an efficiency standpoint, we were able to plant the flag internationally here in the United Kingdom much quicker," Beck said, noting that U.K. client needs are similar to those in the United States, and therefore "little or no customization" is required.
"There are still your front runners willing to accept the 'annoyance factors' as we're building out language as a whole," Beck added. "They're comfortable with American English instead of the queen's English."
Beck described the U.K. expansion as the "tip of the iceberg" of Rearden's European growth plans. Those plans "allow us to attack that small market. The same way you have companies in the United States that have offices in various states, in Europe they have offices in various countries."
The Advantage Focus Partnership is part of Advantage Travel Centres, a 30-year-old consortium that reported combined annual group turnover of more than $4 billion for its 800 U.K. leisure and corporate outlets.
Advantage Travel Centres corporate director Ken McLeod said the Rearden agreement allows the consortium to provide "best-in-class technology for our members, specifically in the challenging area of mobile solutions for corporate travelers."
Advantage Focus Partnership's "agencies run in size from a little under $10 million to $100 million," Beck said. The target market for business travel customers covers a "ridiculously wide range" and agency members include niche ones, some of which serve high-touch, education and medical clients.
Beck about a year ago helped to open Rearden's U.K. presence, to "build the base, build awareness and prime the marketplace for a consolidation solution that incorporates booking, procurement and expense reporting," he added.
The reseller deal comes five years after Rearden Commerce enlisted 12 U.S. TMCs to market its technology platform. American Express, BCD Travel, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, J.P. Morgan Chase and Paychex now are among more than 60 strategic partners.
The article originally was published in Business Travel News.