September 2009 Developments - 67

“The timeshare segment was of particular interest, since both my dad and sister were working with Hilton Grand Vacations at the time. I received some very good advice from my dad to seek out the major exchange companies and ultimately joined Interval International, where I’ve worked since 1995.” Today, Bryan is VP of the Western Region for Interval International. The Welks Lawrence & Larry In 1964, television icon and orchestra leader Lawrence Welk purchased 900 acres in San Diego County, which included a golf course, four motel units, and a mobile home park. Twenty years later, his son Larry Welk, CEO of The Welk Group, launched the 286-unit Escondido property into timesharing, selling the 286 ﬁxed-week units from 1985-1991. Today, there are three resorts on the property. values, and ﬁnancial strength—these are all good images to convey to a prospective timeshare buyer. During the 80’s, when some of the other brands were getting into the industry, they visited our property to see how we had executed our product and systems. We were perceived as an independent but also a brand, and I believe to some extent this may have helped us establish a link to larger hospitality brands.” have come together to become Holiday Inn Club Vacations, which includes an afﬁliation with Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) and its key hotel brand, Holiday Inns. Spence Sr. & Spence Jr. Around 1984, Spence Wilson Sr., Kemmon’s eldest son, assumed the operational responsibility for Orange Lake until the mid-1990s, when the ﬁrst nonfamily CEO took over. Today, Spence is chairman of Orange Lake Resorts and president of Kemmons Wilson, Inc., based in Memphis. Owned by Spence and his two brothers, Kemmons Wilson, Inc., provides management services to Orange Lake as it has done for the past 27 years. “When we got into the business in 1982, timesharing did not enjoy a great image nationwide. Dad’s entry as the founder of Holiday Inns brought enormous credibility to the industry by his major investment and endorsement of the timeshare business,” recalls Spence Sr. As a third-generation “timeshare kid,” Spence Jr., is being groomed to become his dad’s successor, having obtained extensive business management skills in other company-owned businesses. Like his dad and grandfather, he has a genuine passion about the business and its future and serves as VP of Kemmons Wilson, Inc. While Orange Lake has a seasoned management team in place, the company is still familyowned and has a strong inﬂuence over many aspects of the business. [Editor’s Note: A longer version of this is posted on the 40th Anniversary section of the ARDA Web site.] Marge Lennon is president of Lennon Communications Group. Her e-mail is marge@ lennoncommunications.com. The Wilsons Jon Fredricks Recognized as a third-generation “timeshare kid,” Jon Fredricks, RRP, is the grandson of Lawrence and nephew of Larry Welk. He started in 1987 in the corporate ofﬁces of The Welk Group, which incorporates different businesses (music publishing, real estate, and resorts). At the age of 27, Jon served as liaison between the corporate ofﬁces and the Escondido Resort. To have a better understanding of ﬁnance and real estate, he served four years as a commercial real estate loan ofﬁcer, rejoining The Welk Group in 1994 to help develop their Branson resort. Now, he is president of the company’s hospitality and timeshare division and has served in a variety of positions over the past 15 years. He also served as ARDA Chairman from 20072009. Jon says: “The Welk name is known for honesty, integrity, credibility, family Kemmons Kemmons Wilson, now deceased, founded Holiday Inns in 1952. During his 27 years of leadership, his company amassed 1,759 inns in 50 countries, with Kemmons serving as CEO until his retirement in 1979. But his retirement did not last long— in 1981, intrigued by the timesharing concept, the legendary hotelier acquired 357 acres of land to build Orange Lake Country Club near Orlando. It was the largest single-site resort in the world, with over 1400 acres available to plan for additional development. Some 27 years after Orange Lake’s opening, the two brands that Kemmons originally created Things to Know Do you have a story to contribute? Future columns will cover topics like the role of resort management companies and HOAs, vacation clubs and points systems, and generations of families involved in timeshare—please e-mail your comments/ideas/stories to Anna at achong@arda.org. Also, visit the Web site, www.arda.org/anniversary, to request copies of the 40th Anniversary DVD or magazine supplement ($5/ each; limit ﬁve copies of each). You also may make your predictions for 2019 via the site…what do you think our industry will look like in 10 years? Add your ideas to the “time capsule” of predictions that will be opened ten years from now! September 2009 • Developments 67

September 2009 Developments

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of September 2009 Developments