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New CEO focuses LakePoint on ‘responsible growth’

Mark O'Brien

You can’t miss it.

 

If you drive 35 miles northwest of Atlanta, it won’t take long to notice the sprawling campuses of LakePoint Sporting Community. Opened in 2014 and quickly hailed as the preeminent youth sports vacation destination in America, the $1 billion complex has modern facilities to host more than 40 sports on a 1,300-acre complex. There are eight major league-sized baseball fields, 10 sand volleyball courts and the largest cable wakeboard park in North America. It also features three mixed-use fields for rugby, lacrosse, soccer and ultimate Frisbee.

But in June 2018, LakePoint filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to restructure its debt. Rimrock Capital Management, a California-based hedge fund, took control and has guided LakePoint through the recapitalization process. Last December, Rimrock made an unspecified investment for a long-term partnership between LakePoint and Prep Baseball Report, an independent scouting service, to operate the site’s baseball complex. 

The deal was the first significant move in LakePoint’s evolution. In April it made another major move, hiring Mark O’Brien as president and CEO. O’Brien has been a general manager in minor league baseball, worked with the Houston Rockets early in his career and was most recently the president and CEO of Mizuno USA. 

Despite the economic challenges, LakePoint executives said the complex is coming off one of its most successful years, hosting more than 1.25 million visitor days and generating more than $100 million in regional economic impact in 2018.

Eric Jackson of the Atlanta Business Chronicle recently caught up with O’Brien to gain insight about his first two months as the organization’s top executive and his vision for LakePoint.

The $1 billion LakePoint Sporting Community is home to eight baseball fields, 10 sand volleyball courts and three mixed-used fields.LakePoint Sporting Community

What’s been your priority since being introduced in April?

O’BRIEN: The first thing you want to do is listen. You want to listen to what is going on and really understand the dynamics of where the business is at, as well as where we are with the community and within the industry. Just getting a clear understanding of where that foundation is and how to build on that. We’re fortunate that we have some strong, incredible facilities across our 1,300-acre campus. And just making sure that I understand exactly the operations of the campus, what’s working really well and where there might be some opportunities.  

How will LakePoint sustain its success as a top youth sports destination?

O’BRIEN: You can never rest on your laurels. It’s a constant pursuit of how you’re going to enhance that guest experience and putting the consumer at the center of all our decision-making — and just making sure we maintain our plan of being the ultimate authority on all of youth travel sports. You do that by really understanding your guests, delivering what they need but also going above and beyond that.

LakePoint exited Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2018 with the help of Rimrock, which invested nearly $8 million in real estate at the complex last year alone. How important is it to have that level of financial backing?

O’BRIEN: It’s unbelievable the place we’re in now, and the investment that’s been made. It’s nearly $200 million in total project assets for indoor and outdoor. There’s an investment made on a [road bridge] connecting the north and south campus. And we’re looking at new amenities and investments on campus which we plan to announce in the coming days, weeks and months. … We had our largest three indoor events ever in the history of LakePoint Sports this year — gymnastics, basketball and cheer. We’re really focused on responsible growth. That’s what I’m really tasked with: How do we continue to grow? As we look for new amenities and new sports verticals, how do we do it responsibly? And make sure we deliver on whatever we say we’re going to do. So, if we say we’re going to launch a new technology or a new vertical, we want to make sure we’re delivering on that and it’s not hyperbole or fancy videos. We want to make sure there’s teeth behind that and that it’s going to happen.

You are heading into LakePoint’s first full year with Prep Baseball Report. How do you expect this partnership to benefit LakePoint and Rimrock in the long run?

O’BRIEN: I think the benefit is having the preeminent leader in the space. They are the authority on all of amateur baseball, from their scouting to their analytics to their tournaments and events. For us, we have the best-in-class facilities, so we want the best-in-class partners from A-Z. [PBR] does a phenomenal job and they’re a great partner. Obviously with this being our first year, we’re just launching and leaning into all the aspects we’re going to be doing together. That includes what are we going to do to enhance that guest experience for those on site, and for those who might not be on site, as well as for the athletes themselves. 

What’s your ultimate vision for LakePoint?

O’BRIEN: Ultimately, we want to continue to focus on being the premier sports destination, driven by excellence. … It all has to work together and that starts with part of our vision and our daily mantra, which is creating lifelong memories for athletes, families and the community — one experience, one game and one guest at a time. 

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