Volume 1, No. 7. May 4, 2001
Going Dutch
The bad news is that the Clark family is selling Dutch Wonderland in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, another three-generation park family getting out of the business. The good news is that Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company in nearby Hershey, Pennsylvania, last week signed the letter of intent to purchase the Clarks’ property, promising that the lovely, family-oriented theme park will remain in good hands.
Though it’s another corporate takeover of a family-owned park, this transaction does not point to a further demise of the small, family park sector of our industry. In fact, it illustrates the strength small parks could hold in the emerging U.S. economy. Dutch Wonderland is coming off a string of record attendance years, even as larger parks in the region struggled last year. By obtaining Dutch Wonderland the Hershey corporation now has a family-focused small park to mesh with its large, thrill-oriented Hersheypark 30 minutes away, a marriage similar to Kennywood’s ownership of Idlewild on the Pittsburgh side of Pennsylvania.
Brad Clark’s desire to leave the amusement business and sell his share of the park prompted the move. His brother Murl, the park’s president, decided to sell rather than buy out Brad, with whom he had inherited the park from their father, Earl. "At my age, I decided against trying to restructure everything and refinance to the extent of my being able to buy (Brad’s) portion out. That’s when I approached Herco."
He first broached the sale to Hershey last fall. "We were surprised," said Garrett Gallia, Hershey’s director of corporate relations. "Dutch Wonderland is one of the premier family attractions in all of Lancaster County." Such sentiments forged a swift deal. "In a matter of four or five meetings we had a letter of intent signed," Clark said.
Both sides point to the common business philosophies and family focus the two companies share. But for Hershey, Dutch Wonderland’s stature among central Pennsylvania families was particularly attractive. "Dutch Wonderland has such a successful history of drawing families," Gallia said. "It already exists as a well-known brand and has that history of success."
Which is why the larger corporation will likely make few changes in content at Dutch Wonderland. The value of Dutch Wonderland vis-à-vis Hersheypark is its small-park ambience, which appeals to young families, a growing demographic in today’s economy. "According to our guest surveys, the big park experience, if you will, is getting to be a little too stressful for young families," Murl said. "We even get guests writing on our survey ‘Don’t get too big.’"
The third generation of Dutch Wonderland Clarks, Murl’s teen-age children, work at the park, but they, too, supported their father’s decision. "They’d like to see me have some weekends off and sleep better at night and stuff like that," Murl said. Handing over to Hershey the keys to the park he literally grew up in and spent 38 years developing, Murl is confident he won’t lose any sleep over his baby’s future.
©2001, Minton Enterprises LLC
All rights reserved