CLEARWATER, Fla. — Nicholas Financial recently announced the opening of a new branch office in Akron, Ohio.

The new location continues the company's planned expansion of its branch office network, which now includes, 49 offices in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Ohio, Michigan, Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, Alabama and Tennessee.

Each of the offices is a full-service lending and collection facility. Nicholas employees have been working to develop business in the Akron area for several months prior to the opening of the new location.

The new Akron office is the third Nicholas Financial branch established in the greater Cleveland area and the seventh in the state of Ohio.

The company indicated that it will continue to evaluate potential branch locations in both new and existing markets.

Nicholas Financial acquires and services auto and light truck installment sales contracts that it purchases from more than 1,500 new and used dealers.