Herschend Family Entertainment Invests in Its Employees

 

by Pa Rock

Citizen Journalist

A little over seventy years ago the Herschend family of southwest Missouri managed to acquire control of Marvel Cave near Branson.  The family went into the cave tour business, but the cave could only accommodate so many visitors at a time, so the family began developing a few hillbilly attractions outside of the cave to keep the tourists entertained while they were waiting on their tours.  Those entertainments also provided a nice revenue stream.

The entertainments developed into Silver Dollar City and before long it became one of the major theme parks in the United States.  The Herschend family also helped to develop the famed country music theatres of Branson.  Today Herschend Family Entertainment owns twenty-five major tourist attractions across the United States and into Canada.  Their holdings include Silver Dollar City, Dollywood, the Harlem Globetrotters, and even several large aquariums.  The family business employs over 11,000 full-time, part-time, and seasonal employees.

This week Herschend Family Entertainment announced that it was instituting a new program that would provide free college tuition, fees, and textbooks to all of its employees, and that employees would be eligible for that generous perk from their very first day of employment.  The program will be available for several schools and will cover a wide range of degrees and programs.

At a time when many corporations seem to be picking the pockets of employees in order to stuff the pockets of the bosses, it is refreshing to see a company that shows an interest in helping their workers to better themselves and their situations.

Herschend Family Entertainment is looking toward a brighter future with a better educated workforce, and one can't help but suspect that their friend and partner, Dolly Parton, helped to inspire and encourage this generous initiative. 

 Helping employees obtain education and training is a movement that needs to be spreading across America's corporate landscape.  Kudos to the corporations, like Herschend Family Entertainment, that have the foresight and courage to invest in their people!