Ambassadors Buys Meeting Management Firm

Continuing an acquisition trend that started in 1995 when the company went public, Ambassadors International Inc. has purchased Rogal America Corp., a Boston-based meeting management firm.

Ambassadors International, headquartered in Spokane, is the holding company for its subsidiary, Spokane-based Ambassador Programs Inc. The companies employ 125 in Spokane.

The latest purchase consolidates the Ambassadors’ travel business by integrating Rogal’s hotel registration and convention-scheduling operations.

Ambassadors, founded in 1967, has specialized in educational and business travel under the People to People program established in 1956 by President Dwight Eisenhower.

The company offered 2 million shares in a public stock offering in August 1995, with proceeds targeted for expansion through acquisition of other travel businesses. Former Major League Baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth is Ambassadors’ chairman. He and his brother, Ambassadors International Chief Executive Officer John Ueberroth, are the majority shareholders.

In February 1996, Ambassadors purchased another People to People travel provider - American People Ambassador Programs Inc.

Eight months later, the company formed a pact with the Eddie Bauer clothing company to offer recreational tour packages under the name Eddie Bauer Travel.

“In the last 22 months, we’ve made five acquisitions and bought minority positions in two other companies,” said Jeff Thomas, chief financial officer for Ambassadors International and president of Ambassador Programs.

Most of the purchases have been on the business travel side, he said, while the minority positions have opened areas such as Internet travel sales.

With the acquisition of Rogal, Ambassadors now has offices in Newport Beach, Calif.; Spokane; Boston; San Francisco; Chicago; Kansas City; Alexandra, Va.; and Winnebago, Ill.

, DataTimes