Payless Car Sales, Inc., a recently formed subsidiary of Avalon Global Group, Inc. and a sister company of Payless Car Rental System, has created a new franchise program for independent used car dealers.

As a component of the program, Payless says it will provide independent dealers its nationwide brand image while encouraging them to maintain and build upon pre-existing dealer identity and consumer goodwill in their local markets.

“We have recognized for a long time that used car franchising is a good deal,” said Michael J. Harley, president and COO of Avalon Global Group. “Now Payless Car Sales is making it better.”

According to Harley, in addition to helping independent dealers utilize Payless’ national brand image and relationships, the new Payless Car Sales franchise program is designed to help dealers improve overall dealership performance by:

• Capitalizing on synergistic opportunities with the rental side of the business, such as co-branding, cross-marketing, and cascading of fleet vehicles;

  
  

  
  

• Providing quality regional and national indirect retail lending sources, competitively priced wholesale financing sources and other products and services, which may be unavailable to most independent dealers; and

  
  

  
  

• Allowing Payless Car Sales dealers to earn rebates based on utilization of specific program products and services.

  
  

  
  

  Payless Car Sales says it intends to aggressively grow this new franchise program in 2002, with plans to open 50 additional Payless Car Sales locations across the country.

  
  

  As the first step in implementing its growth strategy, Payless Car Sales has selected Dealer Diversified LLC, a Tulsa, Okla.-based company, as the exclusive developer for 49 states. Dealer Diversified’s management team was previously associated with Thrifty Car Sales, Inc. and was instrumental in the development and initial growth of that company’s franchise program.

  
  

  Payless Car Sales has selected Robert Smith, of St. Petersburg, Fla. as the franchise developer for the state of Florida. Smith has been a Payless licensee for more than 14 years and is the owner/operator of three Payless Car Sales locations and five Payless Car Rental locations in Florida.

  
  

  Avalon Global Group, Inc., Payless Car Sales, Inc., and Payless Car Rental System, Inc. are privately held corporations headquartered in St. Petersburg, Fla., with more than 135 worldwide franchise locations.

  
  

  Payless Car Rental, which recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, achieved the #1 ranking in Success Magazine’s Franchise Gold 200 in 2000 and also has announced a targeted 100 percent increase in Payless Car Rental franchises by the end of 2002.