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Advanta Signs Bill Rancic, Winner of 'The Apprentice,' as Corporate Spokesperson SPRING HOUSE, Pa. --(Business Wire)-- Aug. 12, 2004 -- Rancic Teams with Small Business Financial Services Company to Promote Products and Services that Help America's Small Businesses GrowAdvanta Corp. (NASDAQ: ADVNB; ADVNA) announced today that it has signed Bill Rancic, a successful business owner and recent winner of the hit television series, "The Apprentice," to serve as its corporate spokesperson. Advanta is a leading issuer of business credit cards to America's small businesses through its subsidiary Advanta Bank Corp. "Advanta is the only financial services company focused exclusively on the needs of small business owners and Bill represents a new generation of entrepreneurs," said Dennis Alter, Chairman and CEO of Advanta. "He is a dynamic, passionate and intelligent business leader who embodies the entrepreneurial spirit and drive that makes business owners unique. He is a reflection of the great American dream to run a business and is someone who will represent our company very well. As an Advanta card holder, he is representative of the type of entrepreneur we help everyday." This is the first corporate spokesperson agreement for Rancic, an entrepreneur who launched a cigar business out of his studio apartment and grew it into a successful global company. Last spring, Rancic won the televised competition on "The Apprentice," which was one of the highest-rated television series of the year. The hit series tapped into the entrepreneurial dreams of millions of young Americans and has sparked renewed interest in people who own their own businesses. "Advanta began as a small business and its appreciation for the hopes and dreams of business owners attracted me to the company," said Rancic. "Advanta provides resources, experience and expertise to entrepreneurs and small businesses that helps them start, manage and grow their companies." Small businesses represent a vibrant portion of the U.S. economy. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses: -- provide approximately 75 percent of the net new jobs added to the economy; -- represent 99.7 percent of all employers; -- employ 50.1 percent of the private work force; and -- provide 40.9 percent of private sales in the country. Rancic will be an ambassador for Advanta in public appearances, media interviews, marketing and promotional campaigns. He will be promoting the features and benefits of the company's credit card. Advanta has created website content available at noon today at www.advanta.com/bill featuring news and information about Rancic, including "Bill's Challenge," which allows visitors to test their business instincts versus the winner of "The Apprentice." The relationship between Rancic and Advanta grew from a meeting between Rancic and Alter at the Small Business Administration's (SBA) Expo in Orlando, FL in May, where both men were speaking to the business owners in attendance. Rancic said he was immediately drawn to Advanta after hearing the story of the founding of Advanta by Dennis Alter's father Jack, who had been a teacher. Jack Alter established Advanta, then known as Teachers Service Organization, with $30 in seed money and a vision to provide loans to other teachers, a group which typically had difficulty in obtaining loans from traditional banks. "My own father, the person I admire most, was an educator who served as a superintendent of schools for 20 years before becoming a college professor," Rancic said. "Because of its origins, I was able to immediately identify with Advanta. I continue to be impressed by its mission to help give small business owners a fighting chance. This corporation has not forgotten what it is like to be a small or start-up business." About Advanta Advanta focuses on the small business market and related community, providing funding and support to the nation's small businesses through innovative products and services. Using its direct marketing and information based expertise, Advanta identifies potential customers and provides a high level of service tailored to the unique needs of small businesses. Advanta is one of the nation's largest issuers (through Advanta Bank Corp.) of MasterCard business credit cards to small businesses. Since 1951, Advanta has pioneered many of the marketing techniques common in the financial services industry today, including remote lending and direct mail, affinity and relationship marketing. Learn more about Advanta at www.advanta.com. About Bill Rancic William "Bill" Rancic founded cigarsaroundtheworld.com eight years ago in a 400 sq. ft. studio apartment. Today it is a thriving multi-million dollar national operation. The son of educators, he is a true entrepreneur, paying his way through college by starting a boat wash and wax business in the Chicago area. He is also an adventure junkie. When he is not making business deals he enjoys skydiving and scuba diving. In addition to his cigar company, Bill also develops real estate and speaks at universities and businesses around the country. An estimated 27.6 million viewers tuned in to watch Trump say, "You're hired!" to Bill Rancic on "The Apprentice." In his new book and CD, "You're Hired" How to succeed in life and business from the Winner of The Apprentice, Bill discusses the secret for success in his personal and professional life. |
