Will Koch: CEO of Holiday World & Splashin' Safari.

• Author: Hromadka, Erik
• Position: CEO PROFILE - Holiday World & Splashin

FAMILY FUN DURING summer trips to an amusement park--for Will Koch, it was not only a fond memory from his childhood, but the start of a career building one of Southern Indiana's most popular attractions.

Koch is CEO of Holiday World & Splashin' Safari, an amusement and water park started by his grandfather in the town of Santa Claus, approximately 45 miles east of Evansville. His grandfather thought a town named Santa Claus should have a toy shop and a place for children to play with Santa. What started as a hobby for Koch's grandfather in 1946 has grown into a destination for regional tourists and die-hard roller coaster enthusiasts from around the world.

Initially built around the Christmas holiday theme, the park has continued to grow over the years, adding sections for Halloween, Thanksgiving and the 4'h of July that feature rides, games and live entertainment. In 1993, a water park area opened and in 1995 the park won rave reviews for The Raven, a new wooden roller coaster that was recognized as one of the best in the world.

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Koch, who grew up in the family business, got his start working in the park as a costumed character when he was just 10 years old. He took over as CEO in 2003 and now oversees an attraction that draws some one million visitors each season. "We've been averaging eight percent growth per year since 1975," he says. "That's something I'm really proud of."

Koch says the key to continued growth has been keeping a focus on families, while other parks targeted mostly teenagers. For example, the park has added a number of water attractions over the years that are fun for smaller children and their parents. Keeping the park clean and making sure the staff are friendly are also top priorities.

In addition, the park has taken some novel steps to make visits more enjoyable for families. For example, installing four self-serve soft drink stations where kids can get something to drink for free has eliminated a lot of hassles for parents who found themselves repeatedly saying "no" to thirsty children. While the move reduced some revenues, it made visitors happier and more likely to return.

Koch says such thinking was initially panned by other park owners before being recognized as a top promotion. "All I kept hearing from other park owners was 'Are you nuts?'" he recalls. "It's an amazing feeling to take a risk and have it turn out to be such a winner--both in the industry, and more importantly with our...