Avis: 40 years on, still going

Returning to civilian life in Detroit in 1946, he jumped into the driving seat, and founded Avis, the first car rental company to operate from an airport.
A few years later Avis opened in Miami and before long franchises were running in Canada, Mexico and Europe. Restless in matters of business, Avis sold his company for a handsome profit in 1954 to a Boston financier.
In 1963 the “we try harder” advertising campaign began, and this is still the assurance that Avis Rent A Car makes to its customers.
Last Friday evening, Bev Sande, managing director of Avis Zimbabwe, welcomed guests from the travel and tourism industry to the 40th anniversary celebrations of Avis in Zimbabwe.
As 40th anniversaries are traditionally associated with rubies, guests were asked to dress “with a touch of ruby”, resulting in a display of hundreds of guests wearing different shades of red, Avis’s corporate colour, and the warmest and most powerful of all colours. Prizes were given for the most striking outfits, and a booby prize was awarded to a leading hotelier who misread his invitation and came dressed in rugby attire.
On arriving for the celebrations at La Serenata, the latest up-market restaurant to open its doors in Harare, guests were invited to choose from a selection of vintage accessories and to pose for photographs alongside a gleaming red 1958 Chevrolet. 
When Avis Zimbabwe opened its doors for business in 1971, there were many challenges to overcome and difficult territory to navigate. Internal strife up until independence in 1980 discouraged tourism and residents were reluctant to drive outside their city limits, or to fly to any resorts. There was, however, a major tourism boom in the late 1980s: tourism became the fastest growing industry in the country, and Zimbabwe was voted the hottest global destination.
The millennium ushered in another bleak decade – from running at full throttle, the country was now running on empty. Avis came through this difficult period, and is now poised to take advantage of a renewed growth in tourism and an ever-increasing demand by locals and visitors for car hire. Stylish new uniforms ensure that Avis employees will cut a dash, and the launching of Sasana Tours Division will guarantee Avis’ market share in this high-profile industry.
In her opening speech last Friday, Bev reminded us of the saying that life begins at 40, suggesting that Avis in Zimbabwe is poised to go from strength to strength. Unsurprisingly, Avis was voted the best car hire company at the recent Association of Zimbabwean Travel Agents annual award ceremony.
Bev, whose birthday is next month, is true to all those born under the star sign of Sagittarius: Ambitious, optimistic, honest, and loving adventure and travel, Bev can provide the leadership to encourage her team to try even harder, propelling Avis into full speed ahead and on into overdrive. Warren Avis, who died in 2007 aged 91, would have been proud of her.