Thorn EMI Plc has further expanded its international rental businesses via the acquisition for $55m cash of $69m-a-year Houston, Texas-based Remco America Inc: Remco operates through 64 outlets, mainly in Houston, Dallas, Chicago and North Carolina, and has a good profit record; Rent-a-Center, Thorn’s core US rental arm, has been one of the group’s biggest growth areas since its purchase back in 1987; Thorn EMI describes the transaction as strategically valuable, since it secures for the group a well-established second brand; Rent-a-Center has been developing a small chain of second brand outlets which will trade as Thorn International Rentals and will be incorporated with the Rent-a-Center or Remco chains; Remco’s management stays on board.
