Item 1. Business
ITEM
1. BUSINESS
Overview
Parks!
America, Inc., through our wholly owned subsidiaries, owns and operates three regional theme parks and is in the business of acquiring,
developing and operating local and regional theme parks and attractions in the United States. Our wholly owned subsidiaries are Wild
Animal Safari, Inc., a Georgia corporation (“Wild Animal – Georgia”), Wild Animal, Inc., a Missouri corporation (“Wild
Animal – Missouri”), and Aggieland-Parks, Inc., a Texas corporation (“Aggieland Wild Animal – Texas”).
Wild Animal – Georgia owns and operates the Wild Animal Safari theme park in Pine Mountain, Georgia (the “Georgia Park”).
Wild Animal – Missouri owns and operates the Wild Animal Safari theme park located in Strafford, Missouri (the “Missouri
Park”). Aggieland Wild Animal – Texas owns and operates the Aggieland Wild Animal Safari theme park near Bryan/College Station,
Texas (the “Texas Park”). We acquired our Georgia Park on June 13, 2005, our Missouri Park on March 5, 2008, and our Texas
Park on April 27, 2020.
Our
Parks are open year round but experience increased seasonal attendance, typically beginning in the latter half of March through early
September. As a result, our combined third and fourth quarter net sales have historically ranged from 68% to 72% of our annual attendance
based net sales. For our 2021 fiscal year, the first full year including our Texas Park, combined third and fourth quarter net sales
were approximately 60% of our annual attendance based net sales.
Our
business plan includes expansion via the acquisition of additional local or regional theme parks and attractions, if attractive opportunities
arise. We believe acquisitions, if any, should not unnecessarily encumber the Company with additional debt that cannot be justified by
current operations. We may also pursue contract management opportunities for themed attractions owned by third parties. By using a combination
of equity, debt and other financing options, we intend to carefully monitor stockholder value in conjunction with the pursuit of growth.
Shares
of our common stock trade on the OTC Markets Group OTCPink marketplace (“OTCPink”) under the symbol, “PRKA.”
For
an overview of our business operations, see MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITIONS AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
herein.
Corporate
History
The
Company was originally incorporated on July 30, 1954 as Painted Desert Uranium & Oil Co., Inc. in Washington State. On October 1,
2002, Painted Desert Uranium & Oil Co., Inc. changed its name to Royal Pacific Resources, Inc. and its corporate domicile to the
State of Nevada.
On
December 19, 2003, Royal Pacific Resources, Inc. acquired the assets of Great Western Parks LLC pursuant to a Share Exchange Agreement
that set the stage for our current corporate structure and operating strategy. We changed the name of the Company to Great American Family
Parks, Inc. The acquisition was accounted for as a “reverse acquisition” in which Great Western Parks was considered to be
the acquirer of Royal Pacific Resources for reporting purposes. As of June 11, 2008, the Company changed its name from Great American
Family Parks, Inc. to its current name, Parks! America, Inc. In addition, effective June 25, 2008, the Company’s quotation symbol
on the OTCPink was changed from GFAM to PRKA.
Wild
Animal Safari, Inc. – Our Georgia Park
On
June 13, 2005, Wild Animal – Georgia acquired our Georgia Park in Pine Mountain, Georgia. Our Georgia Park is situated within a
200-acre portion of a 500-acre plot, which is owned by Wild Animal – Georgia, located approximately 75 miles southwest of Atlanta.
Our Georgia Park features a three-mile drive-through animal viewing area that opened in 1991. It is home to over 500 animals, birds and
reptiles, comprised of over 65 species. The majority of the animals roam wild in a natural habitat. Visitors can observe, photograph
and feed the animals along the paved road that runs through the drive-through section of our Georgia Park’s natural habitat area.
Some animals are contained in special fenced-in exhibit areas within the natural habitat, drive-through section of our Georgia Park,
while others are in a more traditional zoo-like walk through section of the park, the Walkabout Adventure Zoo, which also includes a
reptile house, featuring reptiles from several continents.
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Wild
Animal, Inc. – Our Missouri Park
Wild
Animal – Missouri purchased our Missouri Park as of March 5, 2008. Our Missouri Park is situated in Strafford, Missouri on 255
acres of land located 12 miles east of Springfield and approximately 45 miles north of Branson. Our Missouri Park features a five-mile
drive-through wild animal viewing area that opened in 1971. It is home to approximately 400 animals, birds and reptiles, comprised of
over 65 species. Most of the animals roam wild throughout the natural habitat. Visitors can observe, photograph and feed the animals
along the paved road that runs throughout the drive-through section of our Missouri Park’s natural habitat area. Some animals are
contained in special fenced-in exhibit areas within the natural habitat, drive-through section of our Missouri Park and other animals
are in a more traditional zoo-like walk through section of the park, the Walkabout Adventure Zoo, which also contains a reptile house,
featuring reptiles from several continents. During our 2018 fiscal year, we made a significant investment in acquiring a baby female
giraffe for our Missouri Park. During our 2020 fiscal year, we completed an expanded giraffe exhibit, which allows our guests to view
and feed our giraffes year round.
Aggieland-Parks,
Inc. – Our Texas Park
Aggieland
Wild Animal – Texas acquired our Texas Park on April 27, 2020. Our Texas Park is situated on 250 acres of a 450-acre property,
located approximately 25 miles northeast of Bryan/College Station, Texas and 120 miles northwest of downtown Houston. Our Texas Park
features a two-and-a-half mile drive-through animal viewing area that opened in 2019. It is home to over 550 animals, birds and reptiles,
comprised of over 70 species. The majority of the animals roam wild in a natural habitat. Visitors can observe, photograph and feed the
animals along a crushed-gravel road that runs throughout the drive-through section of our Texas Park’s natural habitat area.
Our Texas Park also includes a 20-acre Walkabout Adventure Zoo, featuring outdoor and indoor animal exhibits, a reptile house, two aviaries,
extensive giraffe and tortoise encounter areas, an otter exhibit, and a large hippopotamus enclosure and pond.
Animal
Park Operations
Park
revenues are primarily derived from admission fees, food and beverage sales, gift shop and specialty item sales, and sales of animal
food. We also provide vehicle rentals at our Georgia Park. Management’s plans to grow revenues at each of our Parks include ongoing
improvements to existing facilities, making each Park more attractive to visitors and developing unused acreage. We also believe that
increasing local and regional awareness of each Park via advertising and promotion is a critical element of our revenue growth plans,
especially for our Texas and Missouri Parks.
In
addition to the animal environments, each of our Parks contain a gift shop, a restaurant or concessions, and picnic areas. We sell food
and beverages in our restaurants or concession areas, and a variety of items in our gift shops, including shirts, hats, educational books,
toys and novelty items, many of which are animal themed. Our 2022 fiscal year plans include the addition of an expansive new giraffe
exhibit at our Georgia Park, a holiday lights drive through display at our Missouri Park, and expanding the guest food service capabilities
and offerings at our Texas Park. Increasing attendance, as well as increasing the per capita income generated in our gift shops and from
concessions continues to be a primary focus. We also plan on increasing revenues via on-going product development,
including animal encounters and rental vehicles at all three of our Parks.
The
majority of the animals at each of our Parks were born on-site or domestically acquired. We rarely import animals and have not imported
any animals in the past 10 years. Auctions and sales of animals across the United States occur often and we may acquire animals in these
auctions if we see an opportunity to enhance our Parks. As a result of natural breeding, animal populations at our Parks tend to grow
over time. Periodically, we sell surplus animals born at each Park, and these proceeds are recorded as revenue. The periodic acquisition
and sale of animals is also part of our herd and genetic management program. From time-to-time, we may also relocate animals between
our Parks as part of this program. Each Park is subject to routine inspection by federal and state agencies. Each Park maintains a high
standard of animal care and has passed all recent inspections.
Employees
Our
Georgia Park has approximately 27 full-time employees. During our Georgia Park’s prime attendance season, which typically begins
in the latter half of March and extends through early September, we engage up to 30-35 additional part-time and seasonal employees.
Our Missouri Park has approximately 14 full-time employees and engages in the range of 15-20 additional part-time and seasonal employees.
Our Texas Park has approximately 14 full-time employees and engages in the range of 15-20 additional part-time and seasonal employees.
We also engage consultants from time to time. We have no collective bargaining agreements with our employees and believe our relations
with our employees are good. Parks! America has three officers and one director who oversee the strategy of the Company, the operations
and capital investment activities of our Parks, as well as the overall financial activities, controls and reporting for the Company and
each Park.
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