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Hotel Management Company Starts Groundbreaking
Program that Turns Hotel Managers
Into Owner-partners
-
January 31, 2002 - The Generation Companies (�Generation�) is changing the way hotels do business with an innovative program that promotes talented, ambitious hotel general managers to owner-partners.  The Operating Partner Program gives hotel managers not only more autonomy, but, more importantly, a financial interest in their hotel.  Loosely based on a model pioneered by Chik-Fil-A in the mid-1990s, the concept is new to the hotel industry.  The Generation Companies is the first hotel management firm to offer a program like this company-wide to all its general managers.

To qualify, general managers must complete a rigorous application, pay a fully refundable good-faith investment fee, and prove their operational expertise with high scores in the areas of quality assurance, guest service, preventative maintenance, telephone etiquette, and sales.  In return, managers get a share of the say-so�and the profits. 
 

�We�re redefining the key property leadership position and rethinking how it could be more beneficial for everyone,� says Ron Jacobsen, VP of Operations.  �It�s a tradition in the hotel business to lose good, strong, innovative general managers to jobs at bigger properties or to regional management.  Now, with this program, we�ve created a long-term career path that will attract and retain the best hotel operators.  This benefits the property, investors, staff and community and rewards the operators with a share of the profits. The work is hard, but the upside is substantial.  Now, our Operating Partners are entrepreneurs.� 

This long-term approach to hotel management is a major paradigm shift for the industry� a shift company 


Ronald S. Jacobsen, 
Vice President of Operations
Ronald S. Jacobsen joined Daley Corporation in 1995 as the Vice President of Operations. In 1996 he continued in this capacity with The Generation Companies and in 1998 joined Generation's Board of Advisors. Mr. Jacobsen leads the overall implementation of hotel strategy, property-level operations, recruitment and training. For the first eight years of his career, Mr. Jacobsen was involved in operations and consulting for the health care industry. He earned a B.S. in Business Management from Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, OK. 
president H. Mark Daley thinks will work.  �We want to change our industry for the better.  We believe this new way of aligning everyone�s interests will have that kind of impact,� Daley explains. �We want to foster an entrepreneurial culture at our hotels, which ultimately translates into a superior guest experience and higher profitability for everyone.�

It�s the long view, says Peter Hutchins, General Manager of the Candlewood Suites/Washington-Dulles, and the first Operating Partner in The Generation Companies� new program. �We�re asking �where are we going to be in 10 years?�  Hotel management can be a revolving door and every time there is turnover, the hotel suffers. 

This program capitalizes on the stability and proven performance that exceptional Operating Partners can provide.  I used to think that I ran the hotel like an owner; now, I know I do.� 

Kicked off January 1, The Generation Companies sees a future where all general managers can become Operating Partners.

Daley, Jacobsen and Hutchins agree, the Operating Partner Program is smart business for the hotel industry.  �It�s a great way to keep and develop good people, to inspire them,� Daley concludes.  �We want to strengthen our reputation as an employer of choice in the industry. With this program, we can attract and retain the best, which means our guests and communities get the best. This program makes sure there�s never a reason for an exceptional performer to leave.� 

The Generation Companies, a hotel management and development firm, has over  $100 million in real estate assets under management and employs more than 225 associates at 14 properties in North Carolina, Kentucky and Virginia. 

###

Contact
The Generation Companies
Ron Jacobsen
919-313-7230
[email protected]
www.generationcompanies.com

Also See Day Hospitality Group Provides Unique 90 Day Paid Sabbatical for Hotel General Managers / Dec 1999 
The Generation Companies Opens Suburban Lodge in Hampton, Virginia, Company Adds Regional Sales Manager and Training Director / May 2000 


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