Acendas Travel Expands Across Missouri

In a move that is on track with the company’s desire to grow, Acendas Travel of Kansas City has expanded its operations across the Show-Me-State. Acendas announced this week it has acquired St.Louis-based Gwin’s Travel, which has offices in Kirkwood, Mo. and Bethalto, Ill.

With the acquisition, the Acendas staff will gain new responsibilities, which were not specified, and Gwin’s owner Rhonda Kaminski will retire. However, the other employees of Gwin’s will keep their current roles, as Gwin’s will also retain its name and remain a stand-alone agency.  

“The move follows our strategy to grow in the Midwest by acquiring agencies with a track record of success and a culture which aligns with ours,” Brent Blake, president of Acendas, said in a statement. “We have long been familiar with Gwin’s and impressed with Rhonda Kaminski’s leadership. Gwin’s is a great fit and we are excited to have a larger presence in St. Louis and become involved with the community.”

This is not the first time Acendas has expanded. Just under a decade ago, it made the move to Minneapolis by acquiring four separate agencies in the Twin Cities region between 2010 and 2016. Additionally, Acendas also purchased the Sioux Falls company Travel Partners in June of 2018.

The deal between Acendas and Gwin’s is effective immediately.