Page 15 - Stakis A Case Study
P. 15
"My ambition is to make Stakis a bigger, more dynamic
and exciting Scottish company....to make Stakis a leader
in UK hotel innovation"
He showed interest in American ideas in hotel
developments and in healthcare. The Aviemore
centre - purchased in 1986 - he also thought was ideal for
new ideas and he saw a future in Europe for the Group. His
strategy he described as "accelerated organic growth". This
he saw as creating a clearer identity for the hotel group and
a competitive edge in the market place - one aspect of this
was to emphasise the room rather than the food, catering
to the business client. The services offered were to be
marketed separately - the country hotel, the conference
hotel, the business hotel and the holiday hotel. The thrust
would be to try to balance the Monday to Thursday trade of
the businessman, with the Friday to Sunday trade of the
family. He forecast,
"We will double the company in five years. No trouble
about that. If we don't, my butt should be kicked."
It is fair to say, however, that City analysts were a little
concerned that what they described as `inviting
distractions' might divert the company from its chosen
course, something they claimed had happened in the past.
