Business Spotlight: Lodge of the Ozarks

by Kris Ann Hegle

SBJ Contributing Writer

sbj@sbj.net

Jim Thomas, owner of Lodge of the Ozarks in Branson, is on the phone with a city councilman. Thomas, who is |quot|77 years young,|quot| likes to keep abreast of what's going on in the community, and his enthusiasm is contagious.

|quot|I want the city to do well,|quot| he said. |quot|It's like a ship. If water keeps coming up, your boat rises higher and higher.|quot|

And Thomas has seen Branson's ship rise from its low-water mark to its current flood of stars and attractions.

Prior to moving to Branson, Thomas owned a General Electric appliance store in Joplin in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Thomas was looking for a way to promote his store when he was approached by an advertising salesperson who asked if he'd be interested in sponsoring a syndicated television program featuring stars from the Grand Ole Opry. At first, Thomas balked at the price $135 per week. However, he agreed to give it a try.

Every Saturday night, Thomas would go to the local television station in Joplin, where he introduced a pre-recorded show featuring stars from the Grand Old Opry. During the commercial breaks, he plugged his store.

|quot|The transition between the pre-recorded show and the live stuff I did was so good that people thought the entire thing was a live show,|quot| he said. |quot|We had people calling the station trying to buy tickets. When I saw the response from that show, I understood the value of star power.|quot|

A few years later, Thomas bought Caesar's Palace Supper Club in Joplin, a 300-seat nightclub. Soon after, Thomas began booking acts such as Count Basie and Woody Herman.

In 1968, Thomas sold his store and supper club, and moved to Branson where he worked as a fishing guide for more than three years. He'd already been bitten by the entertainment bug, however, and when he saw the success of local shows like the Baldknobbers and the Presley Family, he decided to get back into the entertainment business. He bought the 1,000-seat Saw Mill Opry just west of Silver Dollar City.

He also purchased a Holiday Inn in Kimberling City, which he renamed the Kimberling Inn. Thomas began working with Roy Clark to build an amphitheater nearby. When the townsfolk objected, however, Thomas said he and Clark decided to build the theater in Branson.

In 1983, the Roy Clark Celebrity Theater opened. According to Thomas, the event caused quite a stir.

|quot|He was the first big star to come to town and start his own theater,|quot| he said. |quot|Up until that point, stars took their shows on the road and traveled from town to town.|quot|

Six years later, Thomas opened the 191-room Lodge of the Ozarks, which quickly evolved into a lodging and entertainment complex. Indeed, the hotel offers guests a seemingly endless list of service and amenities, including a hair and nail salon, a restaurant, three gift and apparel shops, a heated indoor swimming pool, hot tub, and poolside snack bar and game room.

Guests also can make appointments with the hotel's massage therapist, or catch a show at Club Celebrity or Club Las Vegas, the hotel's cocktail lounge that also offers fine dining.

In addition to these facilities, the Lodge of the Ozarks has four large meeting rooms, which has enabled the hotel to host a number of conventions and military groups. The meeting rooms also can be used for banquets, receptions and seminars, and the hotel provides on-site catering.

|quot|It was sort of a safety thing building the convention center,|quot| said Thomas. |quot|It's given us an edge. A lot of hotels have nothing to offer but rooms. The only way they can compete is by price. We compete by offering our guests services they can't get anywhere else.|quot|

Thomas said the Lodge of the Ozarks' location in the heart of |quot|The Strip,|quot| also gives him a competitive edge. Several shows are within walking distance of the hotel, including the Jim Stafford Show, the Osmond Brothers and Mickey Gilley. The Hughes Brothers also perform nearby in a theater they lease from Thomas.

|quot|There's about five shows within walking distance of the hotel, and that helps us,|quot| said Thomas. |quot|We also offer packages to some of the groups that come here. They just love it.|quot|

In 1996, Thomas and a business partner bought the Remington Theatre. Although Thomas decided to sell his interest in the theater several years ago, his eyes still light up when he talks about the acts that once graced the stage, including Kirby Van Burch and Wayne Newton. In addition to these stars, Thomas said he is responsible for bringing many other well-known entertainers to Branson, including Jim Stafford, Mickey Gilley, Mel Tillis and Bobby Vinton.

These days, however, Thomas is more focused on his family, which helps him run the Lodge of the Ozarks. Currently, stepson J.T. Nangle serves as the hotel's general manager, and son Jason Thomas is the hotel's assistant manager. In addition, Thomas' wife, Joy, runs the hotel's gift and apparel shops, and his future daughter-in-law Mendy Stuart serves as the hotel's marketing director.