800.835.4045The story behind the savings
In 1977, entrepreneurs in Wichita, Kansas discovered an opportunity to help independent hotels attract business from transportation companies. From this, Corporate Lodging Consultants (now CLC Lodging) - and an entire new industry - was born.
How It Began
CLC originally was staffed by two employees, including founder Barry Downing. Their task was to market hotels to terminal managers at specific locations. Expanding beyond the initial properties and markets, CLC slowly began to develop relationships with hotels across the U.S.
Expanding The Scope
At the outset, CLC's mission was to increase hotel volume by offering lower rates. Gradually, the emphasis was reversed, as the company changed from representing individual hotels to managing lodging for companies with a significant proportion of non-discretionary travel. Starting with the trucking industry, CLC moved into other transportation areas, such as railroads. Now the business serves a wide range of industries with clients in emergency response, energy, specialty construction, food service and retail distribution.
Service Specialization
The company continued to develop and refine its services, developing services to fit the needs of companies ranging from the Fortune 500 to sole proprietorships. It trained its employees in the negotiation skills that result in the best lodging rates and steadily built a network of thousands of hotels across the country.
A Better System
Through the years, CLC has automated its accounting, billing and reporting systems to match its needs. When software hasn't been available for its unique service offerings, CLC has developed its own proprietary software. Starting with a PC-based system in the mid-’80s and then moving to a mainframe system, CLC today provides the most advanced audit, bill processing and reporting infrastructure in the industry. Its multimillion-dollar Travel and Lodging Online Network (TALON) is a unique Oracle-based system that gives clients access to one of the most sophisticated lodging databases in the world.
Billing, Auditing and Reporting Features
CLC efficiently improved the hotel billing process by developing an electronic point-of-sale system. Rather than the typical 30-day billing delay, this proprietary system sends billing data from hotels to CLC's headquarters in real-time. This gives clients accurate and up-to-the-minute lodging information. CLC automatically audits all bills to catch any billing errors, then sends clients one consolidated invoice per billing cycle. Each bill contains a detailed report with each invoice for easy tracking of lodging spending.
Innovation Continues
CLC dramatically accelerated its entire process and expanded its reporting capabilities when purchased by private equity firm Nautic Partners in 2003. CLC was acquired in April 2009 by FleetCor, the worldwide leader in managing commercial fuel card programs. With both companies helping businesses travel more efficiently, the acquisition offers CLC new opportunities for synergies and growth.
Today’s CLC
As the lodging management services pioneer, CLC today remains the largest and most respected company in the lodging management services industry. CLC employs dozens of experts - including tax specialists, negotiators and 24-hour traveler support staff - who deliver workforce travel savings and solutions to its customers. CLC serves thousands of industry-leading companies, maintains active relationships with thousands of hotels throughout North America, and handles more than 9 million commercial hotel room-nights for clients a year.