Oakwood Worldwide® Expands Franchise Network in Midwest

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Oakwood Worldwide, the global leader in corporate housing and serviced apartment solutions, recently expanded its relationship with American Heartland, Inc. by extending the company's franchisee agreement to now include exclusive operations management of the Oakwood and ExecuStay brands in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio (excluding Cleveland) markets. 

American Heartland, Inc., based in Westerville, Ohio, has been a franchisee for Oakwood Worldwide since Oakwood Worldwide acquired the ExecuStay brand from Marriott International, Inc. in 2012.  Since that time, American Heartland, Inc. has been recognized numerous times at the Oakwood Worldwide Franchisee Awards for excellence, most recently having the highest honors for its customer satisfaction ratings and also being honored for its sales achievements.    

"American Heartland was founded with the same entrepreneurial spirit as Oakwood Worldwide and we have found that their culture closely matches ours, which makes it an easy decision to broaden our partnership with them," said Jeffrey Chase, director franchise sales and development, Oakwood Worldwide.  "Furthermore, it will allow us to fortify our presence in the marketplace, broaden the inventory options available to our clients and provide our clients with greater knowledge of the local market.  This enhanced presence for Oakwood Worldwide in these markets, coupled with the outstanding service capabilities of American Heartland, offers our clients and guests greater options and flexibility with their extended-stay business travel needs."

Oakwood Worldwide's relationships with franchisees and suppliers are an important part of the company's strategy to expand in key markets, enabling Oakwood Worldwide to offer more corporate and serviced apartment options in the United States, as well as in established and emerging markets around the globe. 

"It has been a tremendous learning experience working with Oakwood and the ExecuStay brand the past several years," said Mitch Smith, COO, American Heartland, Inc.  "With this wonderful opportunity to now also support the Oakwood brand and to expand our footprint in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio we're excited to continue offering great customer service to our guests, to serve as a strategic partner for Oakwood in the region and to advance our business." 

View this press release online. View all Oakwood Worldwide press releases.

ABOUT AMERICAN HEARTLAND, Inc.

American Heartland, Inc. is a privately owned Ohio corporation headquartered in Westerville, Ohio.  The company was founded in 1990 by Michael Braunstein and Gary Smith as a complimentary company to their core real estate and management business, Provident United, Inc.  Provident was a property management company that owned several apartment communities throughout Ohio and Virginia.  American Heartland was originally intended to just offer short-term, furnished apartments within Provident's inventory under the trade name Columbus Preferred Apartments but it eventually expanded beyond that.  In 1995, Smith and Braunstein parted ways and Smith became sole owner of American Heartland, Inc.  Under the name Columbus Preferred Apartments, American Heartland grew to become the largest corporate housing company in Columbus, Ohio.  In 2002, American Heartland became the first ever franchise of Marriott ExecuStay.  In 2004, American Heartland, Inc. became a Certified Woman Owned Business when Gary's wife, Victoria Smith, became the majority shareholder.  American Heartland expanded their operations beyond the Columbus market to Cincinnati and Indianapolis in 2008 and 2012.

About Oakwood Worldwide®

Oakwood Worldwide® is the premier provider of corporate housing and serviced apartment solutions through its well-known brands, Oakwood®, ExecuStay® and Insurance Housing Solutions™. With a presence in all 50 United States and more than 85 countries, the award- winning company provides move-in-ready furnished accommodations to meet the needs of global organizations, individual business travelers, insurance clients and leisure travelers alike. Oakwood Worldwide was founded in and continues to base its corporate headquarters in Los Angeles and operates regional headquarters in London, Phoenix and Singapore. For more information, please visit OakwoodWorldwide.com.

SOURCE Oakwood Worldwide

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