but highly seasonal destination, and the much smaller business eventually became a distraction for ABEE. On the other hand, says Olson, “We learned a ton about what operators go through on a daily basis, and also about how to design and lay out a park.” Lessons learned: internal staircases, larger decks. In recent years, for exam- ple, ABEE has been building more climb- ing and rappelling towers with internal staircases in order to ease access to the zip lines and other adventure park elements situated atop the towers. “Par- ents and grandparents can climb the stairs to watch the kids climb,” he says. Larger decks on top of towers also help facilitate ease of operations and safety, particularly for accessible features. The Wisconsin Dells park was one of the few builds by ABEE that included a course built in the trees; most of the company’s courses are pole-based structures. “Trees grow or die,” says Olson; in the case of Heightened Adventures, the course had to be rerouted after a wind- storm knocked down several trees.
course perspective, we’d rather build on poles,” he says. “Some of our courses have been on poles for 30 years and are doing just fine.”
“I think every course should be re- viewed by a professional entity on a regular basis,” he adds. “We test our core stuff every year to make sure we are up to speed on standards.” A right-sized organization. ABEE has reached the point in its evolution where the company is big enough to build the kind of courses its core clients are looking for, yet still agile enough to deliver the customer service they need, says Olson. “We return most calls within 12 to 24 hours of clients reaching out to us,” he says. “When they have an issue with safety during the season, we know they need an answer right away, and we do a good job of getting back to them within hours.” ABEE’s combination of responsiveness, quality, safety-mindedness, and focus- ing on its core competencies demon- strates how a company can remain among the top designers of challenge courses for decades without a lot of flashy builds or bells and whistles. “We build well-designed courses where guests may not go 100 miles an hour, but certainly will have an enjoyable experience,” says Olson.
SERVICE AND SERVICES
The hands-on experience of operating an adventure park also has benefitted ABEE in its other lines of work, which includes course inspections, training, and ACCT certification. The value of training. “I think most incidents and accidents can be avoided with quality training,” Olson says. “We won’t sell a project without a training component.” Olson has served two terms on the ACCT board of directors, as vice chair and treasurer. “Safety affects my daily life and my business, so I’d rather be in the room and know what’s coming down the line,” he explains. He’s a big advocate of the ACCT Operation Accred- itation, noting that a growing number of courses internationally are seeking the ACCT imprimatur. “This is going to help you as a consum- er to decide which course to go to,” he says. “I think that’s going to be a game-changer in the industry.
“Trees require a lot more maintenance. From an investment and life of the
Left: The high ropes course at Camp Mishawaka, Grand Rap- ids, Minn. Below: ABEE built a universal access zip line for Girl Scouts of Colorado, named in memory of a scout with disabilities.
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