Advance America, Cash Advance Centers, Inc.

Type: Public
On the web: http://www.advanceamerica.net
Employees: 6,700
Employee growth: (4.3%)

Advance America, Cash Advance Centers is one of the nation's leading payday advance firms. To cover unexpected expenses, customers visit one of the lender's approximately 2,700 locations in more than 30 states, show two forms of ID, bank statement, paycheck stub, and personal check, and the company loans them from $50 to $1,000 until payday. Advance America also offers money orders, pre-paid debit cards, and money transfer services. Its customers are primarily middle-income working individuals whose average age is 40 and whose median household income is about $40,000. Nearly 90% of them have high school degrees, and some 45% are homeowners. Advance America also has about 10 centers in Canada and 20 in the UK.

Key numbers for fiscal year ending December, 2008:
Sales: $676.4M
One year growth: (4.7%)
Net income: $38.5M
Income growth: (29.3%)

Officers:
Chairman: William M. (Billy) Webster IV
President, CEO, and Director: Kenneth E. (Ken) Compton
EVP, CFO, and Director: J. Patrick O'Shaughnessy

Competitors:
Check Into Cash
Check 'n Go
QC Holdings