The Fort Worth-based operator's pawnshop portfolio contains 402locations in 17 states, predominately tied down by long-termleases, with upward of 7,000 sf for each storefront. The firm sold69 locations in the United Kingdom and Sweden and will pick up 41SuperPawn shops in Nevada, Arizona, Washington and California.

With the exchange set into motion in the last two days, DeeLittrell, Cash America's investor relations manager, tellsGlobeSt.com that the SuperPawn flag will remain in place and thebrand expanded, but the store count has yet to be determined. "Ourmain goal in acquiring them was the growth potential, specificallyin the western part of the US," he says, adding the expansion willtarget Oregon, Washington and California rather than Nevada where21 of the 41 SuperPawn shops are located.

The publicly traded Cash America, the nation's largest pawnshopoperator, is marking its largest takedown of a competitor--cost andnumber of shops--since it was founded in 1983. In August 2003, CashAmerica paid $53 million for 121 Cash Advance stores, mainly inOhio and expanded the network into Kentucky, Indiana andMichigan.