The fisher king: Rural Scotland County retreat has plenty of one thing prized by corporate bigwigs: privacy.

• Author: Anderson, Pete M.
• Position: NC TREND: Corporate retreats

Fishing tackle manufacturer Normark Corp., which is based in the angler's paradise of Minnesota, could have picked any location to entertain buyers from Bass Pro Shops. But the maker of Rapala lures and other gear chose outdoor thrills at King Fisher Society in rural Scotland County.

Groups--including those from Piano, Texas-based Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc. and Horsham, Pa.-based Bimbo Bakeries USA, the country's largest bread-maker--reserve King Fisher for board meetings, team building and deal making. Afterward, instead of the typical post-meeting round of golf, visitors catch and release trophy bass and bluegills on Richmond Mill Lake and hunt quail on 2,000 acres of longleaf pine and broom-straw fields. "More than 80% of our guests have never done any of these [activities]," says Jim Morgan, president and CEO of Laurel Hill-based King Fisher Society LLC.

Eight-hour fishing trips at King Fisher cost $600 per person; five-hour hunting trips, which include a round of sporting clays, are $500. Guides, gear and lunch are provided. Dinners catered by local chefs and lodging at Magnolia Estate, Morgan's childhood home, are available at extra cost. Privacy is always included. That has been especially appealing to some guests --NASCAR drivers, major league baseball players, a Super Bowl-winning coach and politicians. "We're exclusive," Morgan says. "When a group is here, they're not seeing the public. They act differently when they know a microphone or camera won't be put in their face."

Morgan, 63, grew up on King Fisher's property, which his...