Dear Shareholders,
I wanted to provide a full update on our recovery from the recent storms and share our plans moving forward, as unfortunately, we were unable to meet in October. The effects of two hurricanes, flooding, and the pool closure have been substantial, but thanks to effective management and our cash reserves on hand that outpaced the previous year, we are making progress and didn’t fold.
Staff and Community Support
During the storm recovery, our staff faced weeks without work. As a community, we raised over $8,675 to support them. In addition, the company paid out $12,600 in previously earned Q3 bonuses to staff and provided $19,400 in disaster relief. We also assisted our staff with information on filing for emergency unemployment and FEMA relief on October 23 during our quarterly staff meeting. At that meeting we also signed up staff for free life insurance. This shows the strength of our community and our commitment to taking care of the staff who keep Sawmill running.
Park Reopening and Damages
We are reopening venues in phases as we recover from the storm damage. Currently, the biggest challenge is our septic fields, which are still covered with water, preventing us from fully reopening the park. Last weekend, we reopened Splash, and this week we’ve ordered portable restrooms to allow for the reopening of some RV sites & day pass visitors. Guests will not be able to dump waste. Any tampering with the septic system will result in a $500 fine and possible banning.
As the water recedes, we will assess the damage to our tent sites’ electrical grid and begin repairs as needed. Additionally, we will be spending upwards of $50,000 on tree removal and debris caused by the hurricane. The water intrusion has finally crested at 19.7 feet. Once it is safe to pump out the septic system, we will reopen the remaining parts of the park.
Sadly, we may have lost our gatehouse, but that is uncertain at this time. Currently it is not safe to have staff working there.
Financial Strategy and Revenue Generation
To manage the impact of these challenges, I have implemented a strict budget for all departments to reduce expenses without interrupting the guest experience. While some guests requested refunds, many generously donated their stays back to the park, and the majority kept their accounts with credits, helping with deferred revenue.
We have reduced some hours in payroll and changed a few operation hours as well.
In my ongoing efforts to support Sawmill’s financial recovery, I’m pleased to announce that I have been in discussions with several companies, including Liquor vendors and outside organizations and they have graciously agreed to sponsor some of our upcoming events. Their support will not only enhance the community aspects of our events but also help us manage costs during this critical time.
One of our generous sponsors will be bringing in a busload of new members, covering their admission and providing meals through Splash. They’re also donating dancers for our pool party and sponsoring a foam party to attract even more guests. A huge thank you to them for their incredible support!
We’re excited about these partnerships and the positive impact they will continue to have on our community.
Increasing Revenue and Expanding Our Reach
It’s important to note that many may not fully realize the efforts we make to generate revenue. From collaborating with universities to leveraging paid advertisements, Sawmill boasts the largest social media platform of any LGBT campground across TikTok, Instagram, X, Facebook, and others. As pioneers in gay campground social media, we have taught classes at several gay camp conferences on our practices and the importance of web advertising.
As an example of our commitment to social media – In the past 28 days, our social media reach has grown to over 300,000, with 23,000 active followers on Facebook, 15,000 on Instagram, and 4,000 on TikTok ( was 16k until we were hacked). We also maintain an email database of over 30,000 contacts and send text blasts to over 5,000 members per campaign, not including additional post engagements. In June we hired a social media / promotions assistant and We recently partnered with a top graphic designer to further enhance our advertising efforts.
As pioneers in the gay camping arena, we’re continuing to innovate. One new initiative we’re launching is a Facebook group specifically for owners and managers of gay campgrounds, allowing us to easily discuss shared issues and collaborate. We will also be hosting our Gay Camp Conference in January.
Upcoming Events: November-Ween
Looking ahead, we are working on various ways to increase revenue, including our upcoming November-Ween event. Halloween is a significant holiday in our community, and we have planned a series of exciting weekends, including the Haunted Hoedown, Halloween Erotica Leather Weekend, and more. Every weekend builds up to our GRAND FALL-TACULAR HALLOWEEN on November 29th, where at the stroke of midnight, we’ll perform a magical transformation from Fall to Christmas right before your eyes!
The bookings are pouring in and we are so grateful.
Guest Reviews and Accessibility
Guest satisfaction is always a top priority. Every guest receives a survey after checkout, where they can rate their stay from 1 to 5 stars. Here’s an overview of how each department is performing, the percentage represents the number of guests who rated us 4 or 5 stars (equivalent to an A or B rating), along with our plans for improvement:
Staff 89% – We continue to work and train our staff in customer service.
Food & Beverage 87% – We have quarterly menu changes to better service the needs of all guests always offering new dishes.
Reservations 80% -This week we began implementing new methods to streamline the reservation and check-in processes. In September we added a new system that will also help address this and we are considering shifting reservations to the back office to reduce distractions and improve telephone wait times.
Cleanliness 88% – We have made a few changes in housekeeping and will continue to update areas in cabins that require replacement
We also have a solid4.4 -star rating from over 1,000 reviews on Google and Tripadvisor has us rated at “Very Good” When we receive negative feedback, we make it a point to reach out to the guest to see how we can improve their experience. Which brings me to one of my favorite things about being a membership business and that is talking to our members.
I take great pride in ensuring I’m accessible to anyone who wants to discuss their thoughts, any issue, or share ideas. My calendar is published throughout the park and online, and I encourage anyone who has feedback or suggestions to meet with me. I am here on property 44+ hours per week and I stay overnight 2 nights as well. However I take calls and meetings 24/7 :
– Wednesday 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM (9.5)
– Thursday 9:30 AM to 9:30 PM (12)
– Friday 9:30 AM to 9:30 PM (12)
– Saturday 9:30 AM to 9:30 PM (12)
Feel free to stop by anytime during those hours or make an appointment. No one can say they didn’t have the opportunity to have questions answered or share their experience. We also have 4 other managers available, there is always one of us on property.
Before the natural disasters hit, we were breaking records and surpassing cash-on-hand benchmarks from the last few years, and I vow we will bring that same level of success back. One very important accomplishment of 2024 is we had 12 weekly record breaking weeks with every holiday this year breaking our holiday record. In fact, July 4th weekend was our highest revenue week on record!
I understand that many don’t get to see the work we do behind the scenes, the countless hours spent preparing, planning, coaching, advertising, putting out fires and conducting outreach. But there’s a reason we’ve seen the highest-grossing weekends this year and we didn’t crumble under the storm financially—it’s because of the work that happens when no one’s watching. While we still have challenges to tackle in several areas, we are laser-focused on addressing them.
One area we can certainly improve is communication. To address this, I am working on a new weekly blog that will keep shareholders informed about our week’s activities, decisions we’ve made, and ways the community can get involved.
I know this was a long letter, but it was important to cover all the bases of what we missed by not having an October shareholders’ meeting. Lastly, I want to extend a huge thank you to the community for your incredible support and quick response in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton. ” In the face of adversity, we discover our greatest strength—our unity.”
Always Sawmill Strong and Fabulous!
Justin Pamplin, General Manager 352-583-0664 justin@thesawmillresort.com
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