Decision Maker Response
William R. Doyle’s response
William R. Doyle
9 de nov. de 2015
First and foremost, a special thank you to all of you who have shared some very fond memories and sentiment for Callaway Gardens and our facilities. Since arriving here 6 months ago it has become crystal clear to me what so many have known for generations, Callaway Gardens is a place of awe. Our founders had a vision to create a place of solace, inspiration, and discovery in the hopes that its grounds would connect man and nature in a way that benefits both.
The vision of our Founders still guides the leadership of Callaway Gardens today. Early on our founders knew that in order for this great place to exist it needed support beyond what daily visitation could support. In 1958 Garden Services, Inc. was created to operate the overnight accommodations, food concessions, golf operations, and Robin Lake Beach. This “for profit” company sole purpose was to operate these venues in a profitable manner and return those profits to Callaway Gardens to support its annual operational costs. This still exists today as our resort business returns all of its profits to the Gardens. Please keep in mind however that Callaway Gardens does not own the Lodge & Spa at Callaway Gardens and therefore does not receive any profit contribution to the Gardens from this facility. It is of upmost importance that Callaway Gardens always has a viable, relevant, and profitable resort operations to support the Gardens.
The Gardens and its attractions derive revenues from special events (Fantasy In Lights, Fourth of July, etc.), overnight guest admissions, daily admissions, retail sales, and annual passes. The combination of all of these dollars are what supports the Gardens operations. Over the past several years the Gardens cost to operate has exceeded the intake of funds to cover these costs. We have mandated that we will no longer operate more than we can afford to do so.
The closure of the Sibley Center and Mr. Cason’s Vegetable Garden does not come lightly. As President and CEO I am charged with the future of this great place however I have a greater responsibility to do so in a financially prudent manner. The difficult decision to close these facilities enables us to better focus on a future, knowing that sacrifices today will allow us to fund operations in a prudent manner. I know that so many of you have strong feelings about our choices however I assure you that doing so is the right thing as we move forward. What I will also assure you is that we are keenly focused on creating better experiences in the Gardens in 2016.
As I write this we are in the middle of a complete remodeling of the Day Butterfly Center exterior gardens and garden trails leading to the Meadowlark Garden areas (please come take a look). We are also in the process of identifying the location for an educational demonstration vegetable garden on a more manageable scale.
The reality of the financial conditions at Callaway are being addressed in a meaningful manner so that we are here for many more future generations, this “online” plea to keep the Sibley Center open is appreciated but will not result in a change of decision for 2016. The Sibley Center is in need of a multi-million dollar renovation and requires hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to operate, we cannot operate this facility in its current condition and financial requirements.
Many of the comments do express a desire to support Callaway in some way, my plea to all of you is to continue to support Callaway Gardens now more than ever. There are so many great places inside our 2,500 acres to find the solitude, inspiration, and discovery that our Founders were so intent on providing to all who come, so please continue to do so. Not renewing an annual pass or coming for daily visit is certainly a choice, all of us at Callaway Gardens desire your return and want to thank you in advance for those who continue to do so..
On a final note, Fantasy In Lights and special events like it account for nearly 50% of Callaway Gardens overall Gardens admissions revenue, we would be delighted to receive your support this holiday season by joining us in our celebration.
Thanks again to all of your for your heartfelt comments,
William (Bill) R. Doyle
The vision of our Founders still guides the leadership of Callaway Gardens today. Early on our founders knew that in order for this great place to exist it needed support beyond what daily visitation could support. In 1958 Garden Services, Inc. was created to operate the overnight accommodations, food concessions, golf operations, and Robin Lake Beach. This “for profit” company sole purpose was to operate these venues in a profitable manner and return those profits to Callaway Gardens to support its annual operational costs. This still exists today as our resort business returns all of its profits to the Gardens. Please keep in mind however that Callaway Gardens does not own the Lodge & Spa at Callaway Gardens and therefore does not receive any profit contribution to the Gardens from this facility. It is of upmost importance that Callaway Gardens always has a viable, relevant, and profitable resort operations to support the Gardens.
The Gardens and its attractions derive revenues from special events (Fantasy In Lights, Fourth of July, etc.), overnight guest admissions, daily admissions, retail sales, and annual passes. The combination of all of these dollars are what supports the Gardens operations. Over the past several years the Gardens cost to operate has exceeded the intake of funds to cover these costs. We have mandated that we will no longer operate more than we can afford to do so.
The closure of the Sibley Center and Mr. Cason’s Vegetable Garden does not come lightly. As President and CEO I am charged with the future of this great place however I have a greater responsibility to do so in a financially prudent manner. The difficult decision to close these facilities enables us to better focus on a future, knowing that sacrifices today will allow us to fund operations in a prudent manner. I know that so many of you have strong feelings about our choices however I assure you that doing so is the right thing as we move forward. What I will also assure you is that we are keenly focused on creating better experiences in the Gardens in 2016.
As I write this we are in the middle of a complete remodeling of the Day Butterfly Center exterior gardens and garden trails leading to the Meadowlark Garden areas (please come take a look). We are also in the process of identifying the location for an educational demonstration vegetable garden on a more manageable scale.
The reality of the financial conditions at Callaway are being addressed in a meaningful manner so that we are here for many more future generations, this “online” plea to keep the Sibley Center open is appreciated but will not result in a change of decision for 2016. The Sibley Center is in need of a multi-million dollar renovation and requires hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to operate, we cannot operate this facility in its current condition and financial requirements.
Many of the comments do express a desire to support Callaway in some way, my plea to all of you is to continue to support Callaway Gardens now more than ever. There are so many great places inside our 2,500 acres to find the solitude, inspiration, and discovery that our Founders were so intent on providing to all who come, so please continue to do so. Not renewing an annual pass or coming for daily visit is certainly a choice, all of us at Callaway Gardens desire your return and want to thank you in advance for those who continue to do so..
On a final note, Fantasy In Lights and special events like it account for nearly 50% of Callaway Gardens overall Gardens admissions revenue, we would be delighted to receive your support this holiday season by joining us in our celebration.
Thanks again to all of your for your heartfelt comments,
William (Bill) R. Doyle
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