Today we’d like to introduce you to Gil Hudson.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Redbird was built in 1972 by my father in law Chuck Kurp, he was a passionate visionary for the roller skating industry.
My wife Karen and I began running the rink together in 1985.I was working in real estate at that time and the managers at Redbird quit basically forcing me to work with Karen that weekend just to help out and I have been here ever since. Karen quickly taught me how to manage the rink, and Chuck taught me how to fix things around the rink as well as skates and the flooring. The rink business requires many more hours a week than most people realize and you should have the ability to work well with people which is a strong suit of mine.
That trait has served me well over the years as I have found you must be accommodating but firm in your beliefs. I enjoy working still with the public although it can be challenging at times but the kids are worth the effort and seeing them grow and bring back their own kids to skate is very therapeutic. Many times, they will tell us how much they appreciate our times with them and we helped them through life trying times often with us not even knowing what the problems were, that is the impact a roller skating rink can have on its community.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
For the most part, it has been a smooth road over the last 32 years. We have had a few challenges with economic down turns. we have tried to do other activities not related to roller skating on off days and some worked some did not but all in all we just decided to stick to being a roller rink. we have done roller hockey very successfully but no longer have a market that supports that so we quit doing that and now do more private parties and fundraisers on off hours. However, our business has always been financially stable thank to our community support and our reputation as a well-run business.
Redbird Skateland – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Redbird Skateland is known for being a clean, family run business, fun place, with a family atmosphere. We do a lot of birthday parties both public and private options and we work with our school districts and local sports teams to help in fundraising as well as providing times for daycares and summer camps to come skate as well as homeschoolers.
Our employees treat our customers with respect and provide customer service that exceeds the customers’ expectations. The customers appreciate our attentiveness and willingness to help with their needs. Our employees are friendly as well and keep the mood fun while you are in our care for both kids and adults. I think these employee traits set us apart from other service industries I have encountered and we strive to always keep the rink as clean as possible that definitely comes from my wife Karen who also keeps the rink looking great with decorations for all seasons and holidays.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I define success by repeat customers’ satisfaction and referrals, we do a lot of parties off of people that attended a party at our rink either public or private. we also do a lot of the parties every year as a repeat which means we are doing it right. I always ask each parent at the time they are paying for their party if everything went ok, did we meet your needs, are there any problems or issues you encounter that I need to know about? I am not afraid to listen to concerns or complaints because I think if you are not getting any feedback from those that have concerns then they probably do not think you care enough to listen or make changes when necessary.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.redbirdskateland.com
- Phone: 972-298-7400
- Email: redbirdskateland@gmail.com
- Facebook: @redbirdskate
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