Efteling
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Theme Park – The Netherlands – Founded 1950 – Approx. €300 million turnover – 1,795 employees
Steward-owned since 2022
For Efteling, the transition to steward-ownership in 1985 was perhaps a game-changer in its history. Efteling belongs to no one—or rather, Efteling belongs to Efteling itself. Unlike most amusement parks, it is not a private or public limited company.
This means there is no entrepreneur, family, or private equity player controlling the financial decisions. Unlike many of its Dutch counterparts, Efteling did not have to close its doors or sell to foreign conglomerates.
Efteling originally started as a social initiative under the leadership of Anton Pieck. Later, it became steward-owned, with economic rights separated from governance of the company. This allowed Efteling to operate independently, as the personal financial interests of shareholders did not play a decisive role in decision-making. The park is mission-driven with a long-term focus.
“Our structure has ensured that profits have always gone to the employees and visitors instead of the shareholders. When you look at parks that went bankrupt, you can see that this was precisely where things went wrong."
Olaf Vugts, former director
Steward-ownership may be a crucial piece of the puzzle that helps preserve the fairytale-like atmosphere that defines Efteling to this day.
In Belgium, most amusement parks are also private or public limited companies, and many have changed ownership one or more times throughout their history.
Read the full article in Quote: https://www.tijdschrift.nl/artikelen/baas-in-eigen-buit
Read more about the case of Patagonia,
Article in Quote