Areas USA, a multi-national travel concessionaire providing food, beverage and retail services in the travel hospitality industry, secured multiple partnerships with U.S. transportation authorities along the East Coast’s main highway. Areas will redevelop and operate travel plazas along I-95, from the Florida Turnpike to northeast Maryland.

The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) Board approved an innovative $56-million agreement with Areas to redesign and rebuild both the Maryland House and Chesapeake House travel plazas along the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway. Areas will operate and maintain the plazas through 2047.

Similarly, Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise, an integral part of the Florida Department of Transportation, awarded Areas a multi-million dollar, 30-year contract to operate its fuel and food concession business along the Turnpike. Under the terms of the contract, Areas will provide fuel, food concessions and convenience stores at the eight service plazas located along the 312-mile Turnpike mainline. The new contract includes upgrading and expanding the plaza buildings and grounds.

Anova is proud to partner with Areas, providing Rendezvous steel benches and trash receptacles to furnish the exterior of the travel plazas in both Maryland and Florida. These are ultra modern rest stops, and Anova provides site furniture to meet the aesthetic needs of these locations, as well as an industry-leading warranty for each product. Regional sales representative Bill McConnaughey believes Anova certainly played a significant role in delivering what the customer was trying to achieve. “For the success of this project, Anova site furnishings provided the key ingredients of aesthetics, durability and value,” he said.

The rebuilt facilities in Maryland are LEED Silver certified and include “green” features such as solar panels to power exterior lighting, high efficiency interior lighting, a “green” roof, and drainage systems that will harvest rainwater. CEO of Areas Xavier Rabell said, “(The look) I would say is a combination. A combination of European flavor combined with a strong Maryland flavor.”