James W. Hensley
United Kingdom-based
destination management company Allied Europe has acquired Carlsbad,
Calif.-based PRA Destination Management, one of the largest DMCs in
the United States. The new company, which will combine Allied’s
seven offices in Europe and the Middle East (Allied Arabia) with
PRA’s 19 franchise offices, will be known as Allied International,
but the three groups will continue to do business under their
current brand names.
Allied’s president and owner, James W.
Hensley, has become CEO of the new company, while Patti Roscoe,
PRA’s founder and chairman, will serve on Allied’s international
board of directors. Besides its U.S. presence, the new firm will
have offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, England, France, Italy, Monaco,
Oman, Scotland and Spain.
When asked if he plans to expand PRA’s
franchise model (which Allied offices currently don’t use), Hensley
said that was one of the reasons he was attracted to PRA. “I’ve
seen how successful it is,” he noted, adding that he will consider
franchises for future offices opened under the Allied brand in
Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Among the areas he currently is
eyeing for expansion are Portugal; Prague, Czech Republic; and
South Africa.
Shari Mill-man, PRA’s vice president,
operations, said the U.S. branch will expand its offices (as
franchises) in markets where PRA now lacks a presence, such as
Boston, Denver, and Washington, D.C.
At present, Hensley and Laura Rednour,
president of PRA Destination Manage-ment, are sharing best
practices to create standard operating forms and procedures that
will be used by all the global offices of Allied International.