New England Resort Becomes Second Shell Vacations Systems Franchisee
After a five-year search for the ideal New England timeshare property, Shell Vacations Club (SVC) has made a major commitment to the region with the affiliation of its second franchised vacation ownership resort. Shell Vacations Systems (SVS) second franchisees are Perry Williams and Paul Peck, developers of Crotched Mountain Resort & Spa located in the historic community of Francestown, New Hampshire.
Northbrook, IL (PRWEB) June 27, 2005 -- After a five-year search for the
ideal New England timeshare property, Shell Vacations Club (SVC) has made a
major commitment to the region with the affiliation of its second franchised
vacation ownership resort. Shell Vacations Systems (SVS) second franchisees are
Perry Williams and Paul Peck, developers of Crotched Mountain Resort &
Spa.
Located in the historic community of Francestown, New Hampshire, the
resort is set amidst 675 pristine wooded acres with rolling hills and abundant
stone walls a semi-private 18-holegolf course and an adjacent ski and ride area.
The golf course was originally developed in the 1920s by famous golf course
architect Donald Ross and Williams and Peck saw a tremendous opportunity in the
land, its in-place infrastructure and its close proximity to Boston. After new
construction in excess of $10 million and further renovations, the resort will
contain 112 units in 16 two-story buildings with a clubhouse and spa.
The
new franchisees are also committed to expanding the Shell Vacations Club resort
network. Their franchise agreement with SVS gives Peck and Williams an exclusive
right to sell under the SVS banner in New England subject to increasing sales
and developing additional resorts within the next two years. Already in active
sales, Crotched Mountain Resort & Spa is scheduled to convert to sales of
the Shell Vacations Club points in September. This aggressive schedule is made
possible because Peck and Williams gain immediate access to Shell's tools,
systems, and sales and marketing collaterals.
Says Sheldon Ginsburg,
President and CEO, Shell Vacations LLC, "For some time, our Carriage Hills
Resort in Canada has been our only property in the East. This affiliation is
pivotal for us as it clearly demonstrates that we are not just a 'West Coast'
company. With this franchise we have begun implementing our plan to weave a
complete North American network and are now in talks with other East Coast
developers. We also plan to expand our Club internationally through franchising,
beginning with Canada and Mexico. Several current initiatives are moving us in
that direction."
Adds Tracy Sherles, President of the points-based Shell
Vacations Club and architect of Shell's franchising initiative, "This special
opportunity at Crotched Mountain Resort & Spa fits perfectly with our
strategic goal of creating a New England experience for our Shell Vacations Club
members. Shell intends to blanket the region with a mix of resorts, activities
and benefits available on the basis of points. We are already working on a
myriad of special New England experiences that will be inviting to SVC members
who are visiting the region, as well as to those who live there.
Jeffrey
Server, Executive Vice President of Acquisitions and Development for Shell
Vacations, applauded the commitment of these two developers to bring out the
best of the property and fulfill its tremendous potential through renovation and
rejuvenation.
"Clearly, Perry Williams and Paul Peck understand the
importance of maintaining a traditional New England look and feel to the
property. Their improvements to landscape, amenities, unit and design standards
will place Crotched Mountain Resort & Spa squarely in the midst of other
Shell Vacations Club resorts in terms of overall quality."
About the
Developers
Williams and Peck are partners in two Maine properties: Rangeley
Lake Resort, a timeshare in Rangeley and the Timbers at Sugarloaf/USA, a whole
ownership luxury ski-in/ski-out condominium project in Carrabassett Valley both
about 80% sold out. Williams runs the day-to-day operations of Rangeley Lake
Resort while Peck runs the Timbers. Peck has been an attorney for nearly 20
years, concentrating in real estate, corporate, and commercial law with the
130-year old law firm of Drummond & Drummond in Portland, Maine.
Said
Williams, "We put a great sales and marketing team in place at Rangeley Lake
Resort and could see we would soon face the prospect of having nothing left for
them to sell. We bought Crotched Mountain Resort & Spa and affiliated with
RCI primarily to keep the team together. We had no future development plans
after this resort and, frankly, the last thing on our mind was franchising with
anybody. We really did not want to be 'corporate' and affiliated with a big
brand, as we believe we are entrepreneurial in spirit."
"Then we learned
about Shell's franchising program and felt it was the wave of the future because
of the Club's usage flexibility," added Peck. "We also discovered that being
entrepreneurial is what Shell is all about. At their core, they still like to
make things happen just like we do. With the franchise, we'll still be running
our own business - but with the benefits and credibility of a big company behind
us. And of course, we're still a part of RCI."
What were their motivating
factors in becoming a Shell Vacations System franchisee?
"We were looking
for a knowledgeable partner to take our business to a higher level," said Paul
Peck. "We realized we might spend hundreds of thousands of dollars and many
years and still never get there by ourselves. We didn't want to wait to grow.
Since Shell has been at it for 25 years, we knew being a franchisee would be the
ideal process to get us where we want to go faster and more
cost-effectively."
Explained Peck, "Being a Shell Vacations Systems
franchisee will provide a better experience and result in a higher value for our
customers' vacation dollars. Since Shell will frequently contact our owners to
help them use the product, they will be happier and our portfolio will perform
better. On the back end, being a franchisee will enable us to obtain better
reporting and financial snapshots of our company. Using Shell's systems and the
Shell Vacations Club makes it much easier to expand to new resorts throughout
New England because we do not have to start from scratch."
Williams
agreed. "Having gone from single site developer to two resorts, we could easily
see the synergy in being affiliated with Shell's 21 other resorts. It's exciting
for us to so clearly define our future path. Being a Shell franchise will enable
us to keep our machine going for a long time. With the New England territory as
our exclusive region, we plan to develop other resorts in the near future. Now
there is no end in sight. Plus, it's great for employee morale. We look forward
to using the Shell brand as we continue to recruit top flight sales and
marketing personnel."
A New England native herself, Tracy Sherles has
looked for an opportunity to help develop a vacation club in the region for the
past 15 years and was thrilled to have the New Hampshire property under the SVS
banner. SVS Vice President Joe Malone, born in New England and currently based
there, has long felt that a points-based club in this region would help fulfill
the dreams of many vacationers and make complete business sense for the
organization.
Crotched Mountain Resort & Spa
The main house at the
Crotched Mountain Resort & Spa (built in 1790) features an enormous
fireplace in the tradition of that era and houses a restaurant, tavern, banquet
facility, pro shop, and administrative offices. A documented ghost living in the
basement adds to the ambiance.
"We intend this to be a family-friendly
destination and ideal for family vacations," said Williams. "Francestown is the
kind of place where you don't have to lock your doors. It's peaceful and
relaxing; the historical surrounding area is the main attraction. Many of the
homes were built in the 1700s, and one general store here has been open every
day for the last 215 years."
Eleven million dollars has recently been
spent at the Crotched Mountain Ski and Ride Area adjacent to the resort, which
features downhill trails with all new lifts, as well as night skiing. Crotched
Mountain Resort & Spa offers cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, tubing, ice
skating and hiking trails in addition to championship golf and clubhouse
amenities.
The first Shell Vacations Systems franchisee, Salado Creek
Villas in San Antonio, was affiliated with SVS in March of this
year.
Shell Vacations is one of the nation's largest independent vacation
ownership developers, now operating 22 resorts in eight states and Canada along
with various preview centers. The company has over 2,500 employees and a
hospitality division serving close to 100,000 owners/members.
For
additional information, please log on to http://www.shellvacationsclub.com
For Additional
Information Contact
Joe Malone at 508-563-0127
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/6/prweb255225.htm