Twin River: Raising the Stakes
Hospitality
Written by Liz Jones   
Monday, 31 December 2007
Twin River: Raising the Stakes - American Executive - RedCoat Publishing
Craig Sculos describes this company’s journey from a humdrum racino to a world-class gaming, dining, and entertainment destination.
Built in the 1940s, Lincoln Downs was a profitable thoroughbred racetrack, but by the 1970s, competition from other racetracks—and for the leisure dollar—slowed business to a crawl. In the mid-1970s, the facility converted to a greyhound racetrack, and in an effort to boost business, it added video slot machines in the mid 1990s.

Twin River: Raising the Stakes - American Executive - RedCoat Publishing
Craig Sculos, Vice President and General Manager
By the time Craig Sculos came on board, what was then known as Lincoln Park was a tired, monotone racino with no sense of cohesion. The video slot machines were placed randomly on the gaming floor, and the exterior could not be differentiated from that of a manufacturing facility.

Nonetheless, Lincoln Park was still reaping a profit, and prior management saw no need to change. “At that point, nearby Foxwoods Resort and Casino was just getting off the ground, and Mohegan Sun still being constructed, so we had little competition,” said Sculos, vice president and general manager at Twin River. But as competition started to build and change was imminent, previous management wasn’t in a position to reinvest beyond a fresh coat of paint and new flooring.

In 2005, Lincoln Park was purchased by BLB Investors, which had aggressive plans to commit $220 million to renovating Lincoln Park from top to bottom. “The state had asked for a commitment of $125 million, but BLB suggested that wasn’t enough,” said Sculos.

After 19 months of construction, Lincoln Park, now known as Twin River, has transformed from an antiquated greyhound track that happened to have slot machines to what Sculos considers a world-class gaming, dining, and entertainment destination.

Previously, the property consisted of 225,000 square feet dedicated to gaming and racing but today has more than 500,000 square feet. The construction added infrastructure the facility previously lacked, such as elevators and escalators, a third major entrance, and several well-known restaurants, including Fred & Steve’s Steak-house, Carmine’s, and Fado Irish Pub & Restaurant. BLB also added the 29,000-square-foot Twin River Event Center, which hosts acts such as Hootie and the Blowfish and the Goo Goo Dolls, trade show exhibits, conferences, and sporting events.

Although some customers were driven away during the construction period, Sculos said the number of visits on a daily basis have risen from 10,000 to 15,000 since March 2007. “You can almost hear our guests’ jaws hit the ground when they walk in and see the new facility.”

Since BLB Investors took over in 2005, the workforce at Twin River grew from about 700 to more than 1,200. Sculos is thankful that BLB recognized Twin River’s unique culture and worked to preserve it, rather than demolish it along with large portions of the original facility. “BLB understood that they could recreate one of the Seven Wonders of the World, but if the staff wasn’t capable of delivering a superior guest experience, it wouldn’t work,” said Sculos.

Twin River hired Las Vegas-based Human Dynamics to train all employees. From that program emerged the company’s mantra, ATACADAP, which stands for having the right attitude, acknowledging guests, adapting to a new workplace, and appreciating the ability to serve guests. “We went from being a very comfortable mom-and-pop operation to a world-class facility. We had to make sure our workforce could adjust with us,” said Sculos, noting that the training program took a year to roll out.

To weave the changes Human Dynamics put in place into the fabric of the organization, Twin River has increased its HR staff from two to nine and hired a trainer to reinforce ATACADAP.

Sculos explained that if Lincoln Park had been located in Vegas, an ownership company would have most likely torn down the facility and started from scratch, but BLB didn’t have that option. As the third largest revenue generator for the state of Rhode Island, Twin River needed to remain in operation during construction.

According to Sculos, Twin River is now focused on erasing the previous perception Lincoln Park might have impressed on the public and pushing the facility’s new identity. The enhanced facilities also present the potential for Twin River to penetrate other New England markets. “The majority of our efforts are spent convincing people who would normally head to Connecticut for a night of gaming that we are a viable option,” said Sculos.

Twin River has attacked that monumental task from two directions: traditional media, such as radio, television, and print for the older demographics, and Myspace and text messaging ads for younger demographics. In addition, Twin River rolled out the Twin River Rewards Club in 2006. Members use their cards while gaming and earn points that can be redeemed for meals and merchandise.

Twin River caught New England’s attention last year when it launched a 30-minute reality TV show entitled “The Game.” It ran for 22 weeks on the Fox affiliate station in Rhode Island and then was transferred to the Fox Sports Network, which covers all of New England. “We received phone calls from people in Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire. It would take them five hours to drive here, but they got caught up in the show and wanted to see the facility for themselves,” Sculos said.
 
< Previous Story   Next Story >