Joel Manby, president and chief executive officer of Herschend Family Entertainment (HFE), which owns and operates Wild Adventures, is featured this Sunday, Aug. 29, on the rebroadcasting of the episode from the CBS hit show “Undercover Boss.” This episode was the highest rated episode of the season, after the premiere episode which aired after the Super Bowl.

 

“’Undercover Boss’ gave us the chance to see if we were delivering on what we feel makes HFE different – our people, our ‘servant leadership’ philosophy, and ‘core values.’ Additionally, we knew that our employees’ dedication and passion to our company’s mission to ‘create memories worth repeating’ would be evident,” said Manby. “We’re proud nearly 50 percent of our full-time employees have worked for HFE for more than a decade. We were eager to discover what we could or should do differently to continue to make HFE a great place to work for great people.’”

HFE develops and operates entertainment, tourism and hospitality properties that currently span 24 locations in nine states and is widely recognized as the premier privately held theme park operator in the U.S. The 50-year-old company is committed to creating wholesome, immersive family entertainment experiences. Of the jobs Manby worked, these properties are featured on the show: Silver Dollar City and Showboat Branson Belle in Branson, Missouri; Adventure Aquarium in Camden, New Jersey; and Ride The Ducks at Stone Mountain Park in Atlanta, Georgia.

 

HFE was founded and is still privately owned by the Herschend family. Brothers Jack and Pete Herschend are co-founders of the company. In 2004, the brothers were inducted into the Hall of Fame of the amusement industry’s largest organization worldwide, the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), for their strategic vision and leadership in the theme park industry. Over the years, HFE’s many properties have been internationally lauded numerous times for excellence in theme, presentation and operations.

 

HFE owns, operates or partners in 24 properties in nine states.  HFE’s original park is Branson, Missouri’s Silver Dollar City theme park. In Georgia, HFE operates Atlanta’s Stone Mountain Park in conjunction with the State of Georgia, and owns Wild Adventures Theme Park in Valdosta.