Climb Works Smoky Moun- tains Zipline Tour needs a large staff to meet demand, which can reach 400 visitors a day in peak season.
manager and additional employees as needed. To meet demand, Tibbetts purchased a second, smaller house in January 2023, at which time she also formed Athena North Properties so it could be rented during the off-season. Staff housing is necessary for Tibbetts’ operation. “I wouldn’t be able to staff without folks from outside the area and international students who need housing,” she says. Each three-bedroom house is furnished and can accommodate four to five peo - ple, who share a bathroom and kitchen. Park staff pay a moderately priced rent plus damage deposit, and Athena North rents to visiting nurses and others in transition when its properties are not being used for North Shore’s employees. “I have been able to at least break even on the housing,” says Tibbetts, adding that the market was relatively inexpen- sive at the time of her purchase. Seeing returns. Climb Works Smoky Mountains Zipline Tour, located across the street from Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains National Park, bought an apartment complex almost a decade ago to address employee hous- ing. The two buildings are on the same property; each has 12 units and can house about five employees per unit. Like Tibbetts, “We bought at a good time,” says general manager Mike Mur- ray. “It has been the key to the compa- ny’s success in retaining employees.” Climb Works utilizes 70-plus staff in the summer—many found through the Cool- Works platform—and not many housing
options are available in the area. Murray says the tour needs a robust staff during its busy season, when it can see more than 400 visitors a day. If an employee opts to stay beyond the peak period to cover shoulder seasons and holidays, the company will subsidize their rent, sometimes letting them stay for free, depending on the situation. For Climb Works, the ROI has paid off. “[Employee housing] was a huge invest- ment,” says Murray, “but we made it back in spades pretty quick.” INTERNATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES Staff housing has opened the door to hiring internationally for some parks, which in the past was too cumbersome for many operators, partially due to lack of affordable housing. There are two types of international vi- sas available for foreign talent. The Brid- geUSA program (formerly the J-1 visa) is a cultural work exchange program for students that’s operated by the Depart- ment of State; and the H-2B visa is a nonimmigrant employment program offered by the Department of Labor. The lowdown on BridgeUSA. “The industry standard is for the host organization to provide [BridgeUSA visa holders with] housing,” says Renee Clarke, associate recruitment director for Greenheart Exchange, a designated BridgeUSA sponsor program. Students are expected to pay for housing, she adds, but the idea is for them to still make some cash while having a cultural work experience.
program, but they must have a business license, provide a 32-hour work week, workers’ compensation, and access to cultural activities (which often require transportation). Clarke notes there are inexpensive ways to provide these activities, such as visit- ing a local animal shelter, having donuts with the mayor, or organizing a potluck dinner once a month. BridgeUSA visas are typically issued for a four-month period, but “sometimes students will come back year after year,” says Clarke. It can be extremely rewarding to see employees and global- ly minded employers form relationships and friendships, she adds. Per government regulations, BridgeUSA visa holders are not allowed to work at hazardous heights. Still, they may be ideal for the many roles that aren’t performed at height. “The international students can work on our grounds team support or as axe throwing coaches,” says Colin Lynch, park manager at North Shore, which started hiring BridgeUSA (then J-1) visa students a couple of years ago. Local vs. international. Of course, hiring locals is a popular option for park op- erators since they don’t need housing. And it’s important as a business to have a presence in the community by hiring staff that lives there. “It’s crucial to have local loyalty, and our parent company recognizes that,” says Kohala’s Tuck. But staffing exclusively from the local pool comes with its challenges—particu- larly with high school- and college-aged
There’s no fee for operators to use the
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