Glendale-based corporate travel agency Adelman Travel has acquired Santa Rosa, Calif.-based HMS Travel Group and Food & Wine Trails for an undisclosed price. The transaction closed Jan. 27.
HMS and Food & Wine, which offer upscale food and wine tours, are both part of L. Martin Travel Enterprises Inc. They have 14 employees between them, all of whom will stay onboard at the same location in the transaction, said Laura Schad, marketing and communication manager at Adelman. HMS will be rebranded Adelman, but Food & Wine Trails will retain its brand.
With the acquisition, Adelman expects to expand its reach in the area of affinity tours, and increase its leisure offerings for clients.
“Adelman Travel is continually looking for opportunities to enhance and expand our tour business offering so we may provide these products to our Adelman Vacations and Adelman corporate customers,” said Bob Chaiken, chief executive officer of Adelman Travel. “Food & Wine Trails is highly regarded and has an award-winning reputation in the industry for providing exceptional food and wine excursions, making their products a great option for those groups of travelers seeking unique epicurean tours.”
This is not Edelman’s first foray into California. The company already has two offices there. In 2013, Adelman acquired Fresno, Calif.-based Chamber Discoveries, a travel agency that targets chambers of commerce in the U.S.
Adelman, which has 313 employees at 14 locations nationwide and more than $600 million in annual revenue, has grown over the past several years, driven by new leadership, strategic acquisitions and diversification of services. In 2012, Adelman acquired Springfield, Mo.-based Great Southern Travel and in 2014, it acquired Dallas-based Plaza Travel Inc.
“There are definite synergies between Adelman Travel and our organizations,” said Larry Martin, president of HMS and Food & Wine Trails. “We pride ourselves on providing our guests with a unique combination of value, quality, authenticity and access. The merger with Adelman will increase our buying power, allowing us to expand into new markets while continuing to provide a consistently superior experience to our tour clients. Additionally, many of our tours offer an educational element, making them a great fit for Adelman’s affinity tour base.”
