Sponsored by
Go Ape ropes in £1.5m and plans expansion
The boss of high wire forest venture Go Ape has announced cautious plans to expand into America and Australia.
The firm, which set up in 2002, with its first course in Thetford Forest, recorded its best set of figures last year with a profit of 1.5 million.
It opened its first course in Maryland, USA, in May and plans to open another four over the next year, while also testing the waters in Australia.
Despite the expansion plans, co-founder Tristram Mayhew, said the company actually expected a fall in its figures this year and was cautiously preparing itself for a double dip recession.
It already operates 26 centres across the UK and Tristram, who founded the firm with wife Rebecca, said his first priority was to ensure the jobs of his 400 staff.
"In 2009 we braced ourselves for the recession and for people saving their money but we ended up having our best ever trading. We did notice a reduction of our corporate bookings but that is only six per cent of our business.
"This year we are about 10 per cent down in volume in terms of customers but we are still doing really really well," Tristram said.
"We are not recession-proof but we should be delighted giving that we are operating in the leisure industry where the Institute of Directors reports three out of four business are losing money."
He said he felt that although bookings were down, people were still spending at Go Ape to celebrate special occasions.
The big hope is that Go Ape will not only continue its success in the UK but conquer America as well. And signs are good with the Maryland course already exceeding targets.
"The potential market in America is big," said Tristram who said the US could cater for up to 80 centres.
Despite the expansion, Tristram says he has turned down lots of other offers for franchises and investment.
"We have never been particularly conventional but it always seems to work for us," he said.
"We are being a bit more cautious but we are still going to open two or three courses next year in the UK and four in Amercia, so we are actually growing faster than we have ever done before."
Go Ape in Thetford is also trialling segways, as featured in lst week's Bury Free Press, with the possibility of these being rolled out across other centres.
Have your say on this article - scroll to the top of the story and click on 'comment' or email the editor with your views.
Click here to go back to our main news index.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Bury St Edmunds
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Thunderstorm
Temperature: 12 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: North east
