Sho Dozono
Owner, Azumano Travel
Team Azumano
AIDSWalk, October 2007
Azumano international specialist Ingrid
Stevens, back in the days when there
was no such thing as an e-ticket. |
Azumano Travel is a multi-faceted enterprise dedicated to providing
high-touch corporate, leisure and meeting management services. We
are the largest minority-owned travel management company in the
United States and a Centurion member of the American Express U.S.
Representative Network. Both on our own and in partnership with
American Express, we serve as a diversity supplier for a number of
corporations, including several Fortune 500 companies. As an
American Express Representative, Azumano is able to provide a
wide range of travel benefits, consulting and financial services, and
we have consistently been recognized by American Express for our
”star performance,” “unparalleled customer service” and
“representative excellence.”
Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, Azumano was established in
1949 by entrepreneur George Azumano, the son of Japanese
immigrants. In 1976 son-in-law Sho Dozono, a third-generation
Japanese American, left a teaching position to join the family
business. In 1987 he was elevated to president and chief executive
officer and assumed ownership of the company the following year. In
2002 he was named Travel Agent of the Year by the American
Society of Travel Agents, and that same year also received the
Governor’s Tourism Award for his years of dedication to promoting
Oregon as an international travel destination.
In addition to two offices in Portland and a bilingual (Japanese-
English) operation in the suburb of Beaverton, Azumano has offices
throughout Oregon’s Willamette Valley in Tigard, Salem, Corvallis,
and Eugene. We also have an office in Vancouver, Washington, and
one in Anchorage, Alaska. Our business mix is 77% corporate, 23%
leisure.
On the retail side, the Azumano staff numbers 140 (combined
companies’ employee count is 180). Though consistently ranked
among the nation’s top 50 travel management companies because of
its size and the volume of business it generates ($181 million for
2008; $210 million combined companies), Azumano has the feel of a
small company that places a premium on high-touch customer
service delivered by an exceptionally qualified staff that exceeds
industry averages in terms of years of experience and agency tenure.
Azumano Travel embraces a business philosophy emphasizing the
importance of honor, integrity and individual character. Staff members
are passionate advocates for service to the community while at the
same time seeking creative ways to make international connections
that contribute significantly to a positive quality of life and a sound
business environment for all.
Our agency is also committed to doing its share with regard to
preserving the environment, and we have partnered with the
Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) on a number of initiatives
that will provide renewable energy offsets. In addition to buying
offsets to make all offices of Azumano Travel and our affiliate
companies carbon neutral, Azumano is providing ways for corporate
and vacation clients to voluntarily purchase carbon offsets.
Over the years, Azumano has also earned a reputation for innovative
ideas and forward thinking. This avant garde mentality, combined
with a hands-on approach to customer service, has earned us
numerous awards and a fiercely loyal following of clients who attest to
our service capabilities.
Azumano currently serves the business travel needs of some 350
corporate accounts. They represent commercial, governmental, nonprofit
and educational interests and range from 1-2 person firms to
medium-sized companies with annual travel volumes in the
$100,000-$900,000 range to a number of large corporations with
travel budgets between $1-5 million, to our largest account which
represents over $75 million in annual sales.
An affiliate company
of Azumano Travel is
Premier Gateway,
a leading wholesaler of international airline tickets to retail travel
agencies nationwide. Premier Gateway began operations in 1987 and
over the years has been ranked repeatedly in the Index to Air Travel
Consolidators as one of the nation’s outstanding consolidators. For
three consecutive years Premier Gateway was named AAA Travel Air
Partner of the Year.
Another affiliate company is Azumano International, which provides inbound services to visiting Japanese and offers technical assistance to travel agencies abroad in the form of local sightseeing and/or professional programming. For a number of years running, Azumano International was also the official licensed travel partner of the Seattle Mariners for the Japan Market, and in this capacity, brought thousands of Japanese baseball fans to attend Mariners’ games. The company has offices in both Seattle and Portland.
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