L.L. Bean has been a New England landmark for nearly 100 years. The store was founded in Freeport Maine by Leon Leonwood Bean in nineteen twelve. The store was started with an idea of workers rubber boots attached to leather tops . This idea called the “Maine Hunting Shoe” launched a retail powerhouse with a focus on quality outdoor gear . Time magazine would refer to Leon Bean as the ‘ Merchant of the Maine Woods” as the catalog and subsequent store grew in stature and trust with consumers.
Today, L.L. Bean has net revenue of 1.5 billion dollars with seven full retail stores and fourteen retail outlets along the East Coast and four stores recently opened in Japan. The company plans to open thirty five more stores in the next five years in the United States. The store in Freeport has become Maine’s second largest tourist attraction behind Arcadia National Park with three million visitors a year.
However, it was the Company’s new plans that caught my attention during the past two weeks. Newspapers in Maine have reported that the store plans to open an amusement park in Freeport (about one mile from the franchise store). It would be an outdoor center with lodging and dining on seven hundred acres. The amusement park would be the venue for activities that include hiking, camping, climbing walls, biking, kayaking, fly fishing and even skating. Bean envisions as a concept “a family friendly outdoor adventure attraction with lodging amenities under something similar to a theme park operating model.” The planning is complex with lodging, real estate development and recreational activities but has a very aggressive timetable with a formal request for proposals due during July. The plan would call for the opening of this “National Recreation Destination” to be within a three year time frame.
While the planning uses the words amusement park , it does not appear rides are planned like ordinary theme or amusement parks. This outdoor attraction would promote LL. Bean equipment and clothing for the activities. This would enable potential Bean customers to use the equipment prior to purchasing it at the company’s store.
So, if you enjoy being outdoors in the clean, fresh air of the state of Maine, you may want to continue to follow the plans of L.L. Bean as they continue to develop their outdoor recreation destination in Freeport.
James William Smith has worked in senior management positions for some of the largest financial services firms in the United States for the last twenty five years. He has also provided business consulting support for insurance organizations and start up businesses. Mr. Smith has a Bachelor of Science Degree from Boston College. He enjoys writing articles on political, national, and world events. Visit his website at http://www.eworldvu.com
