LEGOLAND: From family business to sophisticated theme park
By Tim Stripe, Chairman, Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce
LEGOLAND may be a kid's park, but it just got a VERY grown-up new corporate parent with deep pockets. I thought you might enjoy some of the story of how Lego came to be a Carlsbad theme park instead of another landmark on the East Coast.
LEGO Group owner, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, came to Carlsbad in the very early 1990s and met with a group of civic and community leaders to explore the idea of establishing the first LEGOLAND in the USA. The company had done considerable market research and narrowed its site selection process to two spots: Prince William County, Virginia, and Carlsbad. The Virginia site was about 30 miles southeast of Washington DC. Kristiansen was "taking the temperature" of the locals to see who might be more receptive to his new park when I met him and a group of business, political and community leaders in 1991.
The patriarch of the family business, which was founded in 1932, was a charming fellow?but he could also be hardnosed. I remember him stating that he would build a first class family entertainment facility unlike anything the United States had ever seen. And, he would build it for cash; no debt. The estimated price tag was well into the tens of millions.
City leadership proposed an advisory vote in Carlsbad. The board of supervisors in Prince William County was also going to vote on their site that Lego company experts had identified. It looked like a head-to-head runoff was shaping up. Unlike the ponies at Del Mar, there would be only one position collecting the purse. Betting to place or show in this race would be the same as finishing last.
During his visit to our community, Kristiansen invited several of us to Denmark to see his flagship operation. After Denmark, we would inspect the park in England on the way home. It was an informative and rewarding trip. True to his word, Kristiansen's park in Billund, Denmark, was impressive. The equipment was in excellent working order, the service was crisp and friendly, the grounds were immaculate. The turnstiles were clicking with groups of families and toddlers streaming excitedly into the park for an enjoyable holiday. Smiles on the faces of attendees seemed to light up the day. I remember thinking, "This is a great family value. What a wholesome business."
After returning to Carlsbad, I had a discussion with my business partner, David Brown. "We have to beat Virginia in this Lego race, David. What can we do to energize the community to vote for LEGOLAND here in Carlsbad?"
At the time, most residents of Carlsbad, indeed all of Southern California, probably had very little knowledge of Lego other than recognizing them as the brightly colored plastic bricks that children everywhere love. Selling the idea of a theme park based on yellow, green and red plastic bricks seemed a little daunting.
"Sounds like a political campaign to me" said Karl Higgins, a consultant my company had used previously on several occasions. "Why don't you use the phones in your marketing department to call the community's most likely voters and encourage them to support Lego? It's in their best interests on many levels."
David and I turned to each other and the light went on; we had more than 30 operators in our marketing reservation department. We could make a lot of phone calls.
Two weeks before the community vote in November of 1992, the phone calls began. Even though the vote was strictly advisory, the final tally would no doubt strongly influence the construction decision of Kristiansen and his team. To me, the theme park would be an excellent addition to the community. Carlsbad is a family-oriented recreation destination and the fit seemed obvious. It wouldn't hurt that the company expected more than one million annual visitors to the park. Area merchants would love it.
Election Day arrived and the voters began filing into the poll booths. David and I were anxious. I wondered how we would match up. David and I had dreamed about building a new resort on the hill above the flower fields, and if Lego was approved in Carlsbad, our dream might just become a reality.
With droopy eyelids, I stared at the TV hoping for an update before I drifted off to sleep. Finally, at about 11 p.m., a brief report stated that voters in Carlsbad had favored Lego 57 percent to 43 percent. It was a solid win and a resounding vote of confidence from the businesses and residents of our town.
Denmark is nine hours ahead of Carlsbad; no doubt they knew the numbers almost as soon as we did. I hoped the result would sway the company to announce their decision soon.
It didn't take long for the executive suite at Lego to act. In short order Carlsbad was named the new site of the first and only American LEGOLAND. The economic impact on Carlsbad would be enormous. Businesses and residents would soon have a new neighbor that would be pumping millions of dollars into the local economy.
We may have had a small impact on the overall outcome, but in the grand scheme of things, LEGOLAND has been an extraordinarily valuable addition to the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce and our local economy.
The new owners of LEGOLAND, Blackstone Capital Partners, and its sister resorts on the European continent, are a well established family theme park leader. Its roots run deep in the family amusement business including the Six Flags park north of Los Angeles, and Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. Lego in Denmark retained a 30 percent interest, which I think is a great idea.
What may have started as a small family business in Carlsbad has now grown into a very large family of sophisticated financial professionals who have similar locations around the world. What will that mean for the Carlsbad location of Lego?
Personally, I hope it means a continued focus on high quality family entertainment, good value for the dollar and an ongoing commitment to customer service excellence.
Aren't these the same values that those of us who own or manage our own businesses strive for every day?
On behalf of the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce, I'd like to welcome the Blackstone Group to Carlsbad. Come by for a cup of coffee and maybe a pancake. We're all anxious to meet you and hear your plans.
By Tim Stripe, Chairman, Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce
LEGOLAND may be a kid's park, but it just got a VERY grown-up new corporate parent with deep pockets. I thought you might enjoy some of the story of how Lego came to be a Carlsbad theme park instead of another landmark on the East Coast.
LEGO Group owner, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, came to Carlsbad in the very early 1990s and met with a group of civic and community leaders to explore the idea of establishing the first LEGOLAND in the USA. The company had done considerable market research and narrowed its site selection process to two spots: Prince William County, Virginia, and Carlsbad. The Virginia site was about 30 miles southeast of Washington DC. Kristiansen was "taking the temperature" of the locals to see who might be more receptive to his new park when I met him and a group of business, political and community leaders in 1991.
The patriarch of the family business, which was founded in 1932, was a charming fellow?but he could also be hardnosed. I remember him stating that he would build a first class family entertainment facility unlike anything the United States had ever seen. And, he would build it for cash; no debt. The estimated price tag was well into the tens of millions.
City leadership proposed an advisory vote in Carlsbad. The board of supervisors in Prince William County was also going to vote on their site that Lego company experts had identified. It looked like a head-to-head runoff was shaping up. Unlike the ponies at Del Mar, there would be only one position collecting the purse. Betting to place or show in this race would be the same as finishing last.
During his visit to our community, Kristiansen invited several of us to Denmark to see his flagship operation. After Denmark, we would inspect the park in England on the way home. It was an informative and rewarding trip. True to his word, Kristiansen's park in Billund, Denmark, was impressive. The equipment was in excellent working order, the service was crisp and friendly, the grounds were immaculate. The turnstiles were clicking with groups of families and toddlers streaming excitedly into the park for an enjoyable holiday. Smiles on the faces of attendees seemed to light up the day. I remember thinking, "This is a great family value. What a wholesome business."
After returning to Carlsbad, I had a discussion with my business partner, David Brown. "We have to beat Virginia in this Lego race, David. What can we do to energize the community to vote for LEGOLAND here in Carlsbad?"
At the time, most residents of Carlsbad, indeed all of Southern California, probably had very little knowledge of Lego other than recognizing them as the brightly colored plastic bricks that children everywhere love. Selling the idea of a theme park based on yellow, green and red plastic bricks seemed a little daunting.
"Sounds like a political campaign to me" said Karl Higgins, a consultant my company had used previously on several occasions. "Why don't you use the phones in your marketing department to call the community's most likely voters and encourage them to support Lego? It's in their best interests on many levels."
David and I turned to each other and the light went on; we had more than 30 operators in our marketing reservation department. We could make a lot of phone calls.
Two weeks before the community vote in November of 1992, the phone calls began. Even though the vote was strictly advisory, the final tally would no doubt strongly influence the construction decision of Kristiansen and his team. To me, the theme park would be an excellent addition to the community. Carlsbad is a family-oriented recreation destination and the fit seemed obvious. It wouldn't hurt that the company expected more than one million annual visitors to the park. Area merchants would love it.
Election Day arrived and the voters began filing into the poll booths. David and I were anxious. I wondered how we would match up. David and I had dreamed about building a new resort on the hill above the flower fields, and if Lego was approved in Carlsbad, our dream might just become a reality.
With droopy eyelids, I stared at the TV hoping for an update before I drifted off to sleep. Finally, at about 11 p.m., a brief report stated that voters in Carlsbad had favored Lego 57 percent to 43 percent. It was a solid win and a resounding vote of confidence from the businesses and residents of our town.
Denmark is nine hours ahead of Carlsbad; no doubt they knew the numbers almost as soon as we did. I hoped the result would sway the company to announce their decision soon.
It didn't take long for the executive suite at Lego to act. In short order Carlsbad was named the new site of the first and only American LEGOLAND. The economic impact on Carlsbad would be enormous. Businesses and residents would soon have a new neighbor that would be pumping millions of dollars into the local economy.
We may have had a small impact on the overall outcome, but in the grand scheme of things, LEGOLAND has been an extraordinarily valuable addition to the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce and our local economy.
The new owners of LEGOLAND, Blackstone Capital Partners, and its sister resorts on the European continent, are a well established family theme park leader. Its roots run deep in the family amusement business including the Six Flags park north of Los Angeles, and Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. Lego in Denmark retained a 30 percent interest, which I think is a great idea.
What may have started as a small family business in Carlsbad has now grown into a very large family of sophisticated financial professionals who have similar locations around the world. What will that mean for the Carlsbad location of Lego?
Personally, I hope it means a continued focus on high quality family entertainment, good value for the dollar and an ongoing commitment to customer service excellence.
Aren't these the same values that those of us who own or manage our own businesses strive for every day?
On behalf of the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce, I'd like to welcome the Blackstone Group to Carlsbad. Come by for a cup of coffee and maybe a pancake. We're all anxious to meet you and hear your plans.