06/19/2012 (press release: OnlinePR) // John Donnelly
JDA Travel has become the first privately-owned travel business to join the new consortium formed by The Midcounties Co-op Travel.
The move not only demonstrates confidence in the new venture it also re-establishes long associations with leading travel industry figures.
For John Donnelly, the Managing Director of JDA Travel, and Ben Reid, Chief Executive of The Midcounties Co-operative, worked together at the former West Midlands Co-op where they created the highly successful Holiday Hypermarkets, later bought by First Choice.
Geoff Hurmson, Travel Director with JDA Travel, also has close links with Midcounties where he was Group General Manager, Travel, until he stepped down three years ago.
Midcounties’ Alistair Rowland, Group General Manager of Travel Services, said: “We know John Donnelly well, have worked with him and seen how he has innovated and developed travel businesses. We are really pleased to welcome him to our new consortium.
“John is one of the first to sign up and get the partnership off to a great start. We are excited about the consortium and believe it will deliver what its members need and also give them a voice in how it is run.”
JDA focuses on building sales through rewards, recognition programmes and third party distribution direct to tour operators, airlines and other holiday/lifestyle companies. It is based in Burston, Staffordshire.
John Donnelly said: “It is great to be back working with old friends. I have high hopes for the consortium and am confident it will be an asset to my business and to all its members. It is important that independent agents work together to share in the benefits and opportunities that will come from a unified approach.”
The consortium will embody the spirit of co-operation and has already welcomed Channel Islands Co-operative and Chelmsford Star Co-operative.
It will retain principal ATOL status for each of its members. The consortium is targeting around 30 agency members with turnovers of up to £20 million over three years.
Midcounties has embarked on a strategy of rapid growth as it aims to become one of the best independent travel retailers in the country, with co-operative values at its core.
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Notes to Editors
About the Midcounties Co-operative
The Midcounties Co-operative has its headquarters in Warwickshire, with trading outlets in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Shropshire, West Midlands, Worcestershire and the surrounding counties.
The Society’s trading groups are food retail, funeral, travel, pharmacy, childcare nurseries, employee benefits and energy. The Midcounties Co-operative is the largest independent co-operative society in the UK and has more than 470 branches, and 245,000 active trading members. It is in The Sunday Times Best 100 Companies To Work For list for the second year running.
The Society’s mission statement is ‘To be a successful consumer co-operative working towards creating a better, fairer world, and to enhance the lives of our colleagues, members, customers, and the communities we serve’.
About Co-operative Travel
Co-operative Travel offer a variety of holidays, flights and hotels. They are providers of package holidays, cheap ski holidays for that winter break or holidays to Turkey for some summer sun.
For more information, please contact:
Dan Adey
Daniel.adey@cooptravel.co.uk
01922 700048
Visit: http://www.cooptravel.co.uk/
Social Media Tags:Midcounties Co-operative, package holidays, holidays to Turkey, Coop Travel
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