HW: Matt Eckert named new President and CEO

[The Interpreter]

Pat Koch: Sagamore of the Wabash:

http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?ID=59762

[McSalsa]

^
I'm a few days late, but...good for her!

And, since I have not much more to say...uhh...enjoy this awesome aerial photo of Holiday World I found. Looks like it's from 2012, and seems to be archived on Holiday World's web site...my guess is this was taken from those helicopter TV ads last year (which were AWESOME, BTW )...ironically, I'm 98.2% sure Pat Koch was in those flying the Helicopter...anyhow, the awesome HUGE (it's 5250x2006!) picture...

Also, is it just me, or does Legend make Raven look "small" in this picture (granted Voyage appears much larger than both)...

[TTD-120-420]

Can you link to those helicopter ads? I was there the day they shot those, and I have been waiting to see if I was in any of the shots.

[McSalsa]

Ugh...I just did a quick search on youtube, and nothing even comes up for "Holiday World Ads"...so I'm guessing I can't. Which stinks too, because I enjoyed those ads, and would not mind watching them...I wonder if the legal battle has anything to do with it...

UPDATE: I did stumble across this though...

[Creed Bratton]

Interesting Tweet from Dan:

Dan Koch@IndianaDanK

Leaving Paris for Miami. Paris a wee bit dirty but fun. It's not exactly Holiday World here. Heading to HW/SS for a long stay next!

12:23am · 16 Jun 13 · Twitter for iPad

[Gabe]

The plot thickens with the disclosure of another member of the Koch family throwing her hat into the lawsuit....

http://www.indystar.com/article/20130620/BUSINESS/306200045/New-twists-emerge-family-feud-over-Holiday-World

[Joncars05]

man i havent read this post in a while. Again I still don't see why everyone is freaking out. Ill break it down this way.

This park was great because it was family owned. It is still family owned. Lori has taken control and the right hand man (Coworker of 10 years plus) Matt Eckert has been placed in position as President.

Dan NEVER had this park as his number one priority. He is a shady business man at best. He left HW when Will took the reigns to pursue his lawyer firm in Florida. He was rarely involved with HW and moved 1600 miles away from the "family business." If he was so interested in running the park why step away from the park when it is expanding a growing at such an unbelievable rate? The park was seeing a huge boom and success beyond any small park in this nation if not the world and what did he do? He ran to Florida to run a small law firm. He gave full control to Will and walked away from the business. As soon as Will died I believe he saw it as an opportunity to make more money for himself and not run the park for family's sake. According to the article above he increased HIS OWN PAY RATE FOUR FOLD while he was running the park to a total of $1.16 MILLION dollars. He used those funds to fund his law firm in Florida AND pay for his divorce. Not saying anything about divorce but he is the only Koch member to have one that I am aware of. I would assume that divorce is not looked upon well in the Koch family.He was the one who started this whole mess by trying to enforce the agreement policy that state all shares should be split if a sibling passed. Then on top of it, he SHORTED Lori what was legally hers. Not only did he short Lori he shorted HIS OWN BROTHER"S CHILDREN!!! He tried to skim money off the top and take advantage of Lori because he thought she wasn't "Business savvy." But gues what Dan, Lori caught you up and sued your butt for trying to short her what was legally hers. I still don't know why everyone gives this guy the benefit of doubt. He is a crook and the recent court rulings say so. I just don't understand what people see in this guy...

It is widely know that Will's kids were next in line to operate the park. This was Will's baby. You can see his passion by the blog he wrote about his virst ride on Voyage ( ill find the link and post it later. )His kids were in school learning how to run this place. Will worked with Matt Eckert while HW was booming, he logically should have been the next man up to take the reigns. He might have been just there to hold the sport for Will's kids who knows. But the park is in good hands with Matt because he was a close business partner with Will and is probably one of 4 people that knew his vision for the park. I don't know why everyone is trying to throw Lori under the bus. She is only looking out for whats best for the park and her family as well. Dan was and is NOT the best option for the park.

As for Pat Koch. The lady is 81 or 82 years old. Lost two kids in the last 3 years unexpectantly. Do you guys just not think that maybe she doesn't want to be at the park all of the time? Maybe her health isn't the best yet doesn't want anyone to know about it. You might be looking too in depth at her absence from the front of the park.

To say that you may regret buying season passes or that the baggage check up front is (strict) is beyond silly and an overreaction at best. The baggage check is unzip your bag and they look in. You don't have to take anything out and they don't file through your belongings... You people are making it seem like the park is completely different. The only difference is the leader and Pat not being there. The GP probably has no idea that there is anything going on. From reading this board you guys and gals have made it seem like the park is going to be out of business by next year. Maybe you should take the advice from the HWN shirt this year that says "Keep Calm and Ride Voyage."

As for the park. HW hasn't skipped a beat. HW is still friendly, clean, fun, family oriented, and most important of all expanding. They have still had 1,000,000 plus vsitors over the past 8 years or so. They must be doing something right to have that many people visit a park in Santa Claus, IN. The park's future is in great hands with Matt and will continue to be when Will's kids finally take the reigns. No need to worry guys.

[Colonel_SoB_fan]

^ I can actually agree with Joncars for once on this topic.

[The Interpreter]

Claims made in a lawsuit state only one side of a story.

There is far, far more to this than has been made public, or is likely to be.

I'd be very careful with my characterizations. There is such a thing as libel and slander. Opinions are one thing. Stating opinions as fact can be very hazardous.

If Will wanted his kids to run the park, the agreement could have so stated. It did not. In fact, it said in the event of his death his shares were to be sold to Dan and control of the park would thus pass to Dan.

Apparently nowhere did the agreement say anything about Will's wife or his kids running or owning the park.

[Gabe]

Whatever happens with the Court of Appeals, I'm sure will be the last (public) side of this. Knowing how the Indiana Supreme Court work, I just don't see them taking this case. I wouldn't rule out a settlement either before or after the opinion comes out.

[malem]

Oral arguments in the appeals case are scheduled for this upcoming Tuesday, August 6 at 11:00am EDT in Indianapolis. Video will be available online: http://mycourts.in.gov/arguments/default.aspx?&id=1563&view=detail&yr=&when=&page=1&court=&search=&direction= ASC&future=False&sort=&judge=&county=&admin=False&pageSize=20

[The Interpreter]

The summation at the website indicates it is relatively unusual for oral arguments to occur in appellate cases before this Court.

[YoungStud]

If I was in charge of holiday world I would install a Intamin mega lite. Cost effective and an awsome ride.

[jcgoble3]

I believe HW has said that they will never deal with Intamin again after the problems they had with Pilgrim's Plunge (now Giraffica).

[YoungStud]

Money talks. They will if intamin gave a discount.

[Colonel_SoB_fan]

Why does every park need an Intamin?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I547 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

[Delirium13]

If YoungStud was in charge of Disney World, the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train coaster would be Top Thrill Dragster right in the middle of Fantasyland. And it would probably break down a multiple times each day.

[IndyGuy4KI]

Money talks. They will if intamin gave a discount.

Intamin flats seem to be pretty reliable, but after PP or now Giaffica I doubt they will be doing business with them any time soon. I know things have changed a lot in the last 12 months, but I think the KI 2014 project has a bigger chance of being an Intamin than HW getting an Intamin steel coaster in the foreseeable future! Sorry to rain on your parade!

[Gabe]

The Indiana Court of Appeals heard oral arguments yesterday from the two sides fighting for control of Holiday World. There wasn't any new ground covered, esp since each side was limited to 30 minutes each, but the Court will now take the matter under advisement. I would expect a decision in early fall.

[Creed Bratton]

One like myself can hope that Dan ends up with a victory.

[Gabe]

The Court did lament that at the end of the day, this was a fractured family dispute that the Court wasn't sure they could hash out. A telling point in the argument came when one of the Judges analogized the case to a situation where a person who bought a car in 1973 for $3,500 thinks he would now be entitled to purchase a new car in 2013 from the same dealer for the same price. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Court rule for Lori in this dispute.

[Creed Bratton]

I had a conversation with Dan last night actually, in which he told me that he and his mother love Holiday World so dearly and it's really hurting them not being there. He thanked me for the support and told me that he really just wants to see HW continue on the incline.

[The Interpreter]

That Pat is not welcome in a park her husband, she and her family built up is a travesty. It's not enough she lost her son...

Sad.

Truly sad.

[Joncars05]

I had a conversation with Dan last night actually, in which he told me that he and his mother love Holiday World so dearly and it's really hurting them not being there. He thanked me for the support and told me that he really just wants to see HW continue on the incline.

Not to be a jerk, Just pointing out the facts here. If Dan had "loved HW so dearly" why did he leave the park when Will took the reigns? Why did he move all the way to Florida to start a law firm if he loved HW so dearly? Why did he not work in the park with his brother if he wanted to keep the park in the family. I'm all about keeping the park in the family but Lori is family as well. She was actually near the park when here husband was working her kids (Dan's nieces, Pat's grand babies) were going to school for business to learn how to run the park. Heck even Pat at here advanced age was at the park everyday working along side the summer help cleaning trash and wiping down tables... The people I just listed actually loved the park. Dan only showed interest in the park after he realized how much money he could make when he took over after his brother's death.

So again I ask the question if Dan truly "loved HW dearly," why was he in Florida instead of working with his family running this park?

Think about it.

[medford]

Money talks. They will if intamin gave a discount.

Intamin can only give a discount up to a certain point, if they can't turn a profit on the design/installation of a new ride at HW (or anywhere for that matter) they'll go out of business quickly. The amount of a discount they can provide HW w/o completely eroding their profit margin may not be great enough for those at HW to overlook past transgressions.

I've never been to HW, though we tried this summer, but the boy was just floating on the 48" line and we didn't want to risk that he wouldn't make the mark for their coasters this season, so we pushed it back to next summer. What exactly happened w/ Pligrimage's plunge that ticked off HW?

[westcoaster]

Get back to growing, building, and with family Holiday world, this has to be taking a toll on the Family.

http://www.indystar.com/article/20131003/BUSINESS/310030044/Appeals-Court-sides-widow-rather-than-brother-law-Holiday-World-dispute?gcheck=1&nclick_check=1

[westcoaster]

So what will be next for Holiday world?

[Creed Bratton]

I had a conversation with Dan last night actually, in which he told me that he and his mother love Holiday World so dearly and it's really hurting them not being there. He thanked me for the support and told me that he really just wants to see HW continue on the incline.

Not to be a jerk, Just pointing out the facts here. If Dan had "loved HW so dearly" why did he leave the park when Will took the reigns? Why did he move all the way to Florida to start a law firm if he loved HW so dearly? Why did he not work in the park with his brother if he wanted to keep the park in the family. I'm all about keeping the park in the family but Lori is family as well. She was actually near the park when here husband was working her kids (Dan's nieces, Pat's grand babies) were going to school for business to learn how to run the park. Heck even Pat at here advanced age was at the park everyday working along side the summer help cleaning trash and wiping down tables... The people I just listed actually loved the park. Dan only showed interest in the park after he realized how much money he could make when he took over after his brother's death.

So again I ask the question if Dan truly "loved HW dearly," why was he in Florida instead of working with his family running this park?

Think about it.

I don't know Dan's motives/heart, so I can't answer your question.

[elyk]

They need to make a tv show about this and put it on TLC ( the learning channel.... honey boo boo is very educational.)

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[Joncars05]

I had a conversation with Dan last night actually, in which he told me that he and his mother love Holiday World so dearly and it's really hurting them not being there. He thanked me for the support and told me that he really just wants to see HW continue on the incline.

Not to be a jerk, Just pointing out the facts here. If Dan had "loved HW so dearly" why did he leave the park when Will took the reigns? Why did he move all the way to Florida to start a law firm if he loved HW so dearly? Why did he not work in the park with his brother if he wanted to keep the park in the family. I'm all about keeping the park in the family but Lori is family as well. She was actually near the park when here husband was working her kids (Dan's nieces, Pat's grand babies) were going to school for business to learn how to run the park. Heck even Pat at here advanced age was at the park everyday working along side the summer help cleaning trash and wiping down tables... The people I just listed actually loved the park. Dan only showed interest in the park after he realized how much money he could make when he took over after his brother's death.

So again I ask the question if Dan truly "loved HW dearly," why was he in Florida instead of working with his family running this park?

Think about it.

I don't know Dan's motives/heart, so I can't answer your question.

You are very correct, I guess I was really trying to say those questions metaphorically and not really directed towards you. (Even though looking at it now they did seem directed at you and not just question to make others think about this from another angle.) Sorry about that. I just have always thought that actions speak louder than words. A person can say one thing to many people but their actions could be completely different.

The most damaging facts about this case and Dan's actions were spilled out on page 21-31 of the judge's report. Anyone that is interested or has been following this case should read them if you get the chance. It paints Dan in a completely different picture than what he represents himself to be.

The link for the final judges decision: http://www.in.gov/judiciary/opinions/pdf/10031306pdm.pdf

One of my good friends says you can tell a lot about a person and who they are by watching what they do and not as they say. This is a very good example for the use of that saying. Especially now that we know the facts about what has happened in this case.