ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.-- Avalon Global Group Inc., the parent company of Payless Car Rental System, announced today the opening of a Payless corporate store in Atlanta.

Located near Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the store will primarily serve airport customers. Plans also call for the location to expand into the local community.

"The opening of the Atlanta store is a major step in Payless Car Rental's growth strategy to own and operate corporate stores in key U.S. markets," said Rick Stevens, president of Orlin Inc., the Payless affiliate that operates corporate-owned locations. "The store will also be utilized for the franchisee training as well as the beta testing of a rental management system currently being developed."

Payless Car Rental currently owns and operates corporate stores serving the Orlando and Tampa airport markets. Future corporate stores are also planned for other strategic U.S. markets, the company said.

"Showcasing the products and services at the corporate stores, coupled with extensive training and technological support, are critical to our successful franchise expansion efforts," said Charles Pratt, vice president business development for Payless.

As a result, seven additional Payless franchise agreements are in the final stages of completion for Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Fort Myers, San Antonio, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City and New Orleans.

Through a cooperative agreement with Sixt Rent A Car, Payless Car Rental now has a presence in 60 countries with more than 1,400 locations and a fleet of 110,000 vehicles.

Orlin and Payless Car Rental System are wholly owned subsidiaries of Avalon Global Group, a Florida-based privately held company.