Options Travel
Previous ranking: 47
Employees: 96 full-time, 5 part-time
135 Randhurst Village Drive
Mount Prospect, IL 60056
Phone: (847) 803-3000
Website
$354 million4796 full-time, 5 part-time135 Randhurst Village DriveMount Prospect, IL 60056Phone: (847) 803-3000
Executives
CEO: Donald Buynack
COO: Brett Buynack
CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER: Brady Buynack
VP, CLIENT SUCCESS: Lisa Flavin
EVP, PARTNERSHIPS: Andy Kadlec
VP, SALES: Tad Scheele
COMPANY FACTS
* Privately held.
* Owned by the Buynack family.
* Sells travel management services directly to corporations, associations and universities.
* Sales: 88% business, 11% meetings, 1% leisure.
* A member of the GBT Network.
DEVELOPMENTS
* Implemented subscription-based pricing.
* Improved customer service channels with 24/7 text message and WhatsApp support.
* Enhanced client travel-management portals.
* Introduced several online booking tools.
* Deployed TempoTrip booking tool for meetings, crew travel and project travel.
* Expanded groups and meetings services.
LOOKING AHEAD
* Enhancing data security measures, complying with top standards.
* Advancing traveler self-service capabilities.
* Enhancing AI for both travelers and reservation support.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 minutes ago
- Yahoo
SDHG's Lead in Electricity-Computing Integration Helps Market Cap Hit HK$100 Billion
SDHG market cap hit HK$100 billion for the first time, as stock price surged 200+ percent in 2025 From 2021 to 2024, SDHG's total assets more than tripled, from RMB 21.43 billion to RMB 66.17 billion Dazzling success attributed to SDHG's two-pronged strategy of smart investing in new energy and computing power Electricity-Computing Integration model places SDHG in unique position to lead industry SDHG's outstanding ability to align key businesses with national policy priorities wins dedicated government support HONG KONG, July 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Shandong Hi-Speed Holdings Group Ltd. ( shares rose to HK$17.26 at closing on Monday, July 28, sending the market cap of the strongly growing company to HK$103.9 billion. SDHG market cap exceeded HK$100 billion for the first time on July 11. The fact that it has since remained steadily above the HK$100 billion mark indicates the market's unequivocal endorsement of SDHG as a leader in Electricity-Computing Integration and AI-ready infrastructure. SDHG's Lead in Electricity-Computing Integration Helps Market Cap Hit HK$100 Billion As global competition in AI innovation intensifies to a breakneck pace, the demand for computing power has skyrocketed, which led renewable energy and computing power to become critical battlegrounds for serious contenders in the field. SDHG, a pioneer strategic investor in Electricity-Computing Integration, is widely believed to lead the race. Pivot to AI infrastructure builderThe demand for both computing power and the electricity to run the data centers in China is forecast to see exponential growth in the coming years. In 2025, data center electricity consumption is expected to account for 5 percent of China's total electricity usage. The country's intelligent computing power is projected to reach 1,037.3 EFLOPS in 2025 and to surge to 2,781.9 EFLOPS in 2028. The highly centralized GPU clusters required for intelligent computing centers will have to consume more power. On the eve of AI innovation booms, SDHG has made a strategic transition from primarily making financial investments toward becoming an investment holding platform focused on emerging industries. It has since emerged as China's leading company owning premium assets in both renewable energy and computing power, creating a unique Electricity-Computing Integration model. In 2022, SDHG acquired Shandong Hi-Speed New Energy Group Ltd. (SHNE, and now owns 56.97 percent of the company's stakes. In 2023, SDHG made a strategic investment worth US$299 million in VNET Group Inc. (NASDAQ: VNET). SHNE owns clean energy projects in more than 20 provinces in China and has been actively exploring international markets. VNET started focusing on selling data center services to retail clients in China and has grown to serve hyperscale customers including Alibaba Cloud, Tencent Cloud, and Huawei Cloud. These and other smart investment moves have helped the company gain a strong foothold in traditional infrastructure as well as in new infrastructure. Alignment with national policy prioritiesSDHG has shown outstanding ability to align its key businesses with major national policy priorities, namely renewable energy and computing power. As a result, SDHG enjoys full policy dividends from such national projects as 'East Data, West Computing' and secures dedicated government support in energy-rich provinces, especially support for its Electricity-Computing Integration model. Partnering with local governments and companies, SDHG has been able to achieve great success in experimenting with innovative business models that hand the company a unique advantage in both Chinese and international markets. The Ulanqab Source-Grid-Load-Storage Integration Project in Inner Mongolia is one of SDHG's flagship projects and epitomizes the innovativeness of Electricity-Computing Integration. SDHG is building power generation and storage facilities (solar and wind) right next to AIDC and other computing power centers in grassland town Ulanqab. The model breaks down traditional power grid constraints by enabling direct electricity trading ("selling electricity across the wall"). It thus establishes an ecosystem of power generation, transmission, and consumption in the same physical space. This self-contained green ecosystem, with tremendous environmental and economic value, operates on the principles of: - Instant Utilization (power consumed immediately upon generation)- On-Demand Availability (guaranteed supply for computing facilities)- Market-Based Pricing (dynamic cost optimization)- Mutual Benefit (win-win for energy producers and computing operators) Upon completion, the SDHG Ulanqab project will generate approximately 860 million kWh of electricity annually, supplying a significant part of the power to run VNET's 150MW computing centers in Ulanqab. When the 1GW Ulanqab III is in full operation and powered by SDHG, an additional RMB 1.3 billion worth of economic benefits will be created for the company. The SDHG Ulanqab project with its pioneering Electricity-Computing Integration model is set to play a major role in AI's transformation of Chinese tech industry, the same way as Stargate and other mega projects contribute to the building of AI infrastructure in their respective countries. Reliable financing toolkitSDHG's solid background in licensed financial transactions and ability to leverage Hong Kong's status as an international financial center have also been crucial in its success in financing the new energy and computer power projects with a reliable world-class toolkit. In May 2024, SDHG issued US$900 million worth of perpetual bonds — the largest USD senior perpetual bond issuing by any Chinese issuer since 2021, which were subscribed by 280 institutional accounts across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In March 2025, SDHG's portfolio company VNET Group Inc. completed a $430 million convertible preferred notes offering — the largest such issuance relative to market cap by a Chinese firm since early 2024 which secured foundational capital for its domestic expansion. Endowed with the above-mentioned advantages, SDHG has established itself as a market leader with proven operational excellence, attracting more and more major companies to become customers and partners. In May 2025, SDHG signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. to build projects driven by "green computing power and clean energy", develop "zero-carbon smart parks", and collaborate in the field of intelligent transportation, including vehicle-road coordination and large-scale intelligent driving models. The capital market has also reacted to SDHG's new strategy and remarkable business performance enthusiastically. In June 2025, multiple brokerages issued initiating coverage reports with "Outperform" ratings for SDHG, including Soochow Securities (Hong Kong), Zhongtai Securities, Tebon Securities, and SXC Securities. 'Through smart strategic maneuvers, SDHG has managed to build a complete ecosystem in new energy and new infrastructure, greatly enhancing the company's core competitiveness,' the Zhongtai Securities report states. SDHG was incorporated as China New Financial Group Limited. The company was acquired by Shandong Hi-Speed Group in 2017 and adopted its current name in 2022. It was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in the same year and is now a constituent stock of the Hang Seng Composite Index. The company currently holds an Fitch 'A-' Issuer Default Rating (IDR) with an ESG Entity Rating of '2' (Sustainable Fitch). SHDG has been on a phenomenal growth trajectory in the last 4 years despite macroeconomic challenges in the world and in the region. From 2021 to 2024, its total assets more than tripled — expanding from RMB 21.43 billion to RMB 66.17 billion. Its stock price has soared over 200 percent in 2025, while annual revenues are forecast to grow to RMB 6.59 billion, RMB 6.77 billion, and RMB 7.37 billion for 2025, 2026, and 2027, respectively. Net profit attributable to parent company shareholders is expected to more than double in the period, from RMB 216 million in 2025 to RMB 555 million in 2027. 'We expect SDHG to keep its growth momentum in the coming years, benefiting from and contributing to national policy initiatives in new energy and computing power. In particular, SDHG's Electricity-Computing Integration model powering AIDC will cement the company's lead in the industry and help realize its full potential as a market innovator,' the Zhongtai Securities report concludes. Media ContactCompany Name: Shandong Hi-Speed Holdings GroupContact: Stanley ShiWebsite: stanleyshi@ A photo accompanying this announcement is available at in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
4 minutes ago
- Yahoo
UBS orders bankers to scale back sale of complex currency products, FT reports
(Reuters) -UBS has ordered bankers to scale back sales of complex currency derivatives after its clients suffered heavy losses due to U.S. President Donald Trump's "Liberation day" tariff announcements, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday. Reuters could not immediately verify the report. UBS did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
4 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Federal Reserve likely to stand pat on rates this week, deepening the gulf between Powell and Trump
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve is expected to leave its short-term interest rate unchanged on Wednesday for the fifth straight meeting, a move that will likely underscore the deep divide between how Chair Jerome Powell and his chief critic, President Donald Trump, see the economy. The Fed itself, to be sure, is increasingly divided over its next steps, and many economists expect that two members of the Fed's governing board — both appointed by Trump — could dissent on Wednesday in favor of cutting rates. If so, that would be the first time two governors vote against the chair since 1993. Even so, the gap between the views of the Fed's interest-rate setting committee, chaired by Powell, and the White House is unusually large. In several areas, Trump's views sharply contrast with that of the Fed's leadership, setting up likely clashes for years to come, even after Powell's term as chair ends in May 2026. For example, Trump says that because the U.S. economy is doing well, the Fed should cut rates, as if the U.S. is a blue-chip company that should pay less to borrow than a risky start-up. But Fed officials — and nearly all economists — see it the other way: A solid economy means rates should be relatively high, to prevent overheating and a burst of inflation. 'I'd argue that our interest rates are higher because our economy's doing fairly well, not in spite of it,' said Gennadiy Goldberg, head of U.S. rates strategy at TD Securities. Trump argues that the Fed in general and Powell in particular are costing U.S. taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars in interest payments by not reducing borrowing costs. Yet Fed officials don't think it's their job to reduce rates the government pays on Treasury notes and bonds. Most economists worry that if they did, they would risk failing at one of the key jobs Congress gave them: fighting inflation. 'It's using monetary policy to ease pressure on fiscal policymakers, and that way points to higher inflation and bigger problems down the road," said William English, an economist at the Yale School of Management and former senior Fed staffer. If financial markets see that the Fed is focused on keeping borrowing costs low to help the government — rather than focusing on its congressionally-mandated goals of stable prices and maximum employment — Wall Street investors, worried about future inflation, will likely demand higher interest rates to hold Treasury bonds, economists say, pushing up borrowing costs across the economy. For his part, Trump says there is 'no inflation' and so the Fed should reduce its short-term rate, currently at about 4.3%, which was ramped up in 2022 and 2023 to fight rising prices. The Fed's rate often — but not always — influences longer-term borrowing costs for mortgages, car loans, and credit cards. Inflation has fallen sharply and as a result Fed officials have signaled they will cut rates by as much as a half-percentage point this year. Yet it has picked up a bit in the last two months and many of those policymakers, including Powell, still want to make sure that tariffs aren't going to lift inflation much higher before they make a move. Inflation accelerated to 2.7% in June from 2.4% in May, the government said earlier this month, above the Fed's 2% target. Core prices, which exclude the volatile food and energy categories, rose to 2.9% from 2.8%. Last week, Trump and several White House officials ramped up their attacks on Powell over rates. They also criticized the ballooning costs of the Fed's renovation of two of its buildings, raising questions over whether the president was looking to fire Powell for cause rather than policy differences. Trump and Powell engaged in an extraordinary on-camera confrontation over the cost of the project during Trump's visit to the building site last Thursday. On Monday, Trump was more restrained in his comments on the Fed during a joint appearance in London with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. "I'm not going to say anything bad,' Trump said. 'We're doing so well, even without the rate cut.' But he added, 'a smart person would cut." Some economists expect that the Fed will reduce its key rate by a quarter-point in September, rather than July, and say that the two-month delay will make little difference to the economy. Yet beyond just the timing of the first cut, there is still a huge gulf between what Trump wants and what the Fed will even consider doing: Fed officials in June penciled in just two reductions this year and one in 2026. They forecast that their key rate will still be 3.6% at the end of next year. Trump is pushing them to cut it to just 1%. 'That's not going to happen with anything like the current people on the committee,' English said. Wall Street investors also expect relatively few cuts: Two this year and two in 2026, according to futures pricing tracked by CME's Fedwatch. According to the Fed's projections, just two officials in June supported three cuts this year, likely Trump's appointments from his first term: governors Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman. Waller gave a speech earlier this month supporting a rate reduction in July, but for a very different reason than Trump: He is worried the economy is faltering. 'The economy is still growing, but its momentum has slowed significantly, and the risks' of rising unemployment 'have increased,' Waller said. Waller has also emphasized that tariffs will create just a one-time bump in prices but won't lead to ongoing inflation. Yet most Fed officials see the job market as relatively healthy — with unemployment at a low 4.1% — and that as a result, they can take time to make sure that's how everything plays out. 'Continued overall solid economic conditions enable the Fed to take the time to carefully assess the wide range of incoming data,' said Susan Collins, president of the Boston Federal Reserve. 'Thus, in my view, an 'actively patient' approach to monetary policy remains appropriate at this time.' Christopher Rugaber, The Associated Press
