Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1508534
12 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | OCTOBER 2, 2023 Corner Office New Lake Compounce GM Doug Hemphill on the amusement park's wooden roller coaster ride, Boulder Dash. PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED Lake Compounce's new leader Hemphill focuses on rides, food and beverage, guest experience mances, campgrounds and seasonal events, including the Phantom Fall Fest, which is currently running on weekends through Oct. 29. Hemphill said he got his feet wet in the industry while still in high school, working at SeaWorld San Diego, then at other properties within the SeaWorld family. In 2000, he served as vice pres- ident of food and beverage at the now-defunct SeaWorld Ohio, before the park became a Six Flags, allowing him to work in both parks and through the transition. He moved into campground opera- tions, then to Six Flags Great America in Chicago as revenue director. He later worked at Six Flags as corporate senior director of food and beverage, before going back to SeaWorld, then landing in Bristol, where he said he sees significant opportunity at Lake Compounce. Hemphill said he wants to leverage his background in food and beverage as another focus area. Lake Compounce's core offerings — pizza, hamburgers and nuggets — will remain, but the park needs to enhance its variety of foods with salads and seasonal or limited-time DOUG HEMPHILL General Manager Lake Compounce Education: University of San Diego Age: 60 ECONOMIC ACTIVITY IN CT FROM AMUSEMENT/WATER PARKS By Hanna Snyder Gambini hgambini@hartfordbusiness.com D oug Hemphill took over as the new general manager of Bristol's Lake Compounce amusement park in May. One of his first orders of business was taking a turn on all the rides. It wasn't just for thrills. Ensuring all rides are open and operating daily is one of Hemphill's top priorities, he said. That keeps guests satisfied and increases the likelihood they will be repeat customers, or even buy a season pass. One early victory was this summer's reopening of Thunder Rapids, a river rapid-type water ride that had been closed for two years prior. The strategy involves more than just turning a ride on or off, but also keeping up with strict safety and maintenance protocols, Hemphill said. Another focus area is guest services, and "ramping up how we treat guests when they come to the park, treating them as you would treat an honored guest that comes to your home," Hemphill said. He wants staff to be attentive to guests' needs, make their experi- ence enjoyable, "whether it's moving people through lines, on a ride or at a restaurant, there is a way that you can do that and be a little more friendly about it. So, it's pretty basic." Both of those strategic focus areas, he added, are part of his foundations or pillars for success. Decades of industry expertise Hemphill brings 40 years of theme park and entertainment experience to Lake Compounce, which is owned by Palace Entertainment, a subsidiary of Spanish operator Parques Reunidos. The 427-acre park, founded in 1846, features a water park, rides, attractions, food, live musical perfor- Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis $60M $50M $40M $30M $20M $10M $0 2017 2019 2020 2021 ACTIVITY $53.5M $54.6M $35.4M $53.5M