Regional TMCs Andavo, Christopherson Combine Forces
Regional travel management companies Andavo Travel and Christopherson Business Travel today announced a merger agreement to create a company with $250 million in total travel sales and that manages about 1,000 corporate accounts. According to ARC data, the combined 2006 air volume for both entities was $111.9 million.
Christopherson president Mike Cameron will serve as co-CEO with Andavo owner CEO Brenda Rivers, who will oversee operations in Colorado and California as well as the combined meetings and incentives business. Cameron will oversee the company's Utah operations, finances and technology.
Integration began last weekend for the 250 employees, as Christopherson and Andavo combined their Denver offices. Christopherson also has 26 onsite locations. Andavo has an office in Larkspur, Calif., and operates 4 onsite locations. Initially, the companies will maintain separate brands, but Cameron expects the TMC eventually to have a combined name.
The combined size of Salt Lake City-based Christopherson and Denver-based Andavo might allow the company to go after larger corporate accounts, but Cameron said the initial sales focus of the new company will be to strengthen its presence with midmarket accounts.
Cameron would not disclose the legal terms of the initial binding agreement, but said ownership is shared between Cameron, his wife and Rivers. While both owners have been in talks for a few years, Cameron said the merger happened now because Andavo's controller recently left the company and Cameron's lease at the Denver office of Christopherson subsidiary Travel Connections expired at the end of last year.
According to Cameron, the companies will merge their technology portfolios, including Andavo's licensing agreements with GDSX for its Compleat mid-office system and Concur's Cliqbook online booking tool and Christopherson's internally developed technology.
The company will continue to use multiple global distribution systems. Christopherson mainly uses the Worldspan and Galileo GDSs, but has some agents on Sabre. Andavo is primarily a Galileo agency.