Bluegreen Corporation
Company: Bluegreen Corporation, Boca Raton, Florida
Company Description: Bluegreen Corporation provides Colorful Places to Live and Play(R) through 2 divisions. Bluegreen Resorts currently owns or manages 40 vacation ownership resorts in the US and Aruba. Bluegreen Communities sells residential homesites in 32 states. In 2005, Bluegreen ranked No. 57 on Forbes' list of The 200 Best Small Companies and No. 48 on FORTUNE'S list of 100 Fastest Growing Companies.
Nomination Category: Company, Office & Product Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best Overall Company
Nomination Title: Visionary Growth, Legendary Service at Bluegreen Corporation
1. Tell the story about what this nominated company achieved in the past year (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:
2005 was a legendary year for Bluegreen Corporation, highlighted by record sales, record revenues, and record net income. Bluegreen Resorts sales increased in each quarter of 2005, commenced sales at four new sales offices last year. Bluegreen’s owner base increased by 14 percent to more than 153,000. During 2005, Bluegreen commenced sales at three new Texas communities -- SugarTree on the Brazos, Saddle Creek Ranch, and The Settlement at Patriot Ranch. But even more remarkable are the innovations and watershed changes that were hallmark to this growth.
One of the most significant accomplishments at Bluegreen in 2005, was the centralization of our customer service. Previously, Bluegreen timeshare owners were required to call the Mortgage department for mortgage questions, the Title department for title questions, and Maintenance Fees for questions regarding fees. The large-scale launch of a central Owner Services department was nearly seamlessly executed and our owners can now go to one place for all questions, reservations, and payment. In 2005, Owner Services handled a total of 941,000 inbound calls at the Indianapolis Contact Center. Of those calls, the average call was 23 seconds long - shorter than last year by 32 seconds per call. They made 237,854 reservations, with an accuracy of 97.7 percent. In addition, the call center handled 15,000 owner e-mails and letters.
Bluegreen Resorts added two major resorts to the product mix last year. The company went outside the norm in acquiring new property when it acquired the main 19-story tower of the historic Yachtsman Resort on the beach in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Renovations are currently underway to convert the existing 72 studio and 72 one-bedroom units into 142 one-bedroom villas. The brand-new, purpose-built Carolina Grande resort, opened just down the street - Bluegreen now has four resorts in Myrtle Beach – and acquired four acres of land adjacent to its Harbour Lights resort there, where it plans to build additional timeshare units. The company has become a leader and corporate citizen in that important market.
Bluegreen Corporation’s accomplishments have not gone unnoticed nationally. For the second year in a row, the company found itself on Forbes’ “200 Best Small Companies in America” list. Bluegreen was ranked No. 57, up from its 2004 appearance at No. 67. The company also appeared on FORTUNE’s list of “America’s Fastest Growing Companies” at No. 48. Both awards are given based on criteria such as overall sales, patterns of growth and investor return, among other criteria.
George F. Donovan, president and CEO of Bluegreen said, “We were very honored to be included on such prestigious lists. It was, we believe, a testament to the talent and dedication of our employees, the quality of our properties, and the strength of our business model.” He continued, “Bluegreen Resorts continues to offer our customers among the most memorable vacation experiences in our industry. At the same time, Bluegreen Communities remains an industry leader in the direct-to-consumer sale of residential homesites.”
To prove how proud the company is of its associates, Bluegreen implemented numerous reward and recognition programs in 2005, and continues to expand its educational and leadership programs.
2. List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: Begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.youraddress.com]:
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=112002&p=irol-news
Article&ID=792689&highlight=
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=112002&p=irol-news
Article&ID=791290&highlight=
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=112002&p=irol-news
Article&ID=780067&highlight=
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=112002&p=irol-news
Article&ID=763915&highlight=
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=112002&p=irol-news
Article&ID=751643&highlight=
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=112002&p=irol-news
Article&ID=726339&highlight=
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=112002&p=irol-news
Article&ID=829782&highlight=
3. Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the leader of this nominated company:
George Donovan joined Bluegreen Corporation as president & CEO in 1993 after serving on its Board of Directors. He repositioned the company for growth by streamlining the land business and expanding into the timeshare and golf industries.
In 2005, Donovan was awarded the American Resort Development Association (ARDA) Lifetime Achievement Award and the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Award, Florida real estate category.
Donovan holds a B.S. from Norwich University and is a Registered Resort Professional. He is a board member of ARDA and the Boca Raton Community Hospital, and a Board of Trustees member of Norwich University.