Advantage Rent A Car looks to expand franchise

Advantage Rent A Car, a major American car hire company, is now looking to expand its business and open more outlets in Canada and Europe in the near future, as well as increase its presence throughout the United States. Advantage plans to accomplish this by setting up a new franchise program, which is in part being spearheaded by Peter Fritz, who joined Advantage earlier this year, as the company’s Director of Franchising.

Advantage Rent A Car is still smaller than many of its major competitors, such as Hertz, Avis and National. The company currently has rental outlets in 11 states and of these it is most prominently present in Texas, California and Colorado. In terms of non-US locations, Advantage operates outlets in two Canadian cities, namely Montreal and Toronto, as well as in a number of major holiday destinations in Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. Advantage also has a limited presence in a handful of continental European countries, most prominently Italy, Portugal, Spain and Germany.

As part of Advantage’s expansion, the company is looking for car rental companies—especially those at airport locations—to join the so called “affiliate program,” which would offer these businesses more exposure, but would also expand the rental firm’s presence around the world, in the most cost effective way. This opportunity is generally offered to those who are considering franchising, but are not certain if this is the right decision for their company, as the affiliate program is generally seen as a middle-of-way solution, with benefits for both parties.

www.advantage.com