�Our approach to assisted-living facilities has been to operate them much like resort hotels, so it was a natural extension of those capabilities to move into hotels,� said Mark Hamister, chairman, Hamister Group of Companies, Inc. �We�ve seen tremendous opportunities in the hospitality industry and plan to acquire or build three to five hotels annually over the next five years. With the addition of the Hospitality Group and growth elsewhere in the company, we expect to double our employment and increase overall revenue nearly 60 percent by 2009.�

The Hospitality Group will focus on limited-service hotels, which cater to business travelers and families in the eastern half of the United States.

About The Hamister Group

The Hamister Group of Companies, Inc., a 600-person company with headquarters in Williamsville, N.Y., was established in 1977. The Hamister Group owns companies that fall into three separate business segments under the Hamister Group corporate identity: The Health Care Group, The Self Storage Group, and The Hospitality Group. The Hamister Group provides a variety of common services, including financial leadership, accounting, quality control and auditing functions, event management and leadership of senior officers.

The Hamister Hospitality Group, LLC is the newest group to HGC. It was established in 2004 to serve as a holding company to purchase and build new limited-service hotels in the eastern half of the United States. Today, HGC owns two hotels, Fairfield Inn and Suites and Sleep Inn and Suites, in Smyrna, Tenn.