ONE of the world's leading car rental industry consultants and authorities has announced a major global expansion of its business with the opening of new offices in the UK and Japan. Abrams Consulting International was launched in 1994 as a subsidiary of Neil Abrams Associates, founded by Neil Abrams in 1982 following six years as a senior executive with Hertz Corporation. Now US-based Abrams has appointed leading rental industry experts to head up new ACI offices in the UK and Japan.

Heading the UK business is John Allen, who was employed by Avis Rent A Car Europe from 1976-88 latterly as company secretary and was secretary general of the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association from 1990-96 prior to becoming a consultant in the rental and leasing industry. The UK office will serve Europe, the Middle East and African car rental and travel markets. The Tokyo office, which will serve and support the car rental and travel service industries within the Asia Pacific region, will be headed by Kaiji Kiriya, who has 30 years' experience in the car rental business, including 27 years with Nippon Rent-A-Car.

Abrams' move into the UK and Europe follows significant changes in the daily rental market in the past two years, both nationally and internationally, which have seen manufacturers sell their interests in car rental companies, major manufacturers reduce supplies and numerous changes of ownership as well as the emergence of American-based companies into Britain.