Thank You, Thank You, Thank You residents of Southwest Florida for your support of the Shell Factory & Nature Park.

We took control of the iconic 79-year-old facility 20 years ago with the intent of holding it as a real estate investment—then fell in love with the Grand Old Lady. My wife Pam and I didn’t have the heart to destroy this historic property. It has taken us 20 years to renovate and add attractions to finally turn the financial corner. One of our greatest surprises was the Nature Park, which in the beginning we believed would be a loss leader to attract visitors to support the restaurant and gift store. As it turned out, a profitable Nature Park has allowed us to continue adding new habitats and exotic animals. With over 400 animals, birds and reptiles, we have, according to authorities, become one of the country’s most interesting small-animal care facilities and botanical gardens. Due to the loving kindness and attention our devoted animal-keepers give to these inhabitants, individuals and local licensing authorities have rewarded us with rescue animals to care for and to enhance visitor experiences. Our latest project—which is 95 percent complete—is a 2-acre breeding lake for 15 species of freshwater fish that we encourage our guests to search for and to feed. When school systems had severe budget restraints, funding for fieldtrips was slashed. Thanks to support from our friends and The Gentlemen’s Club, we raised the funds to subsidize these classes and to approach attendance of 50,000 children and chaperones. We are also grateful to have over 300 Thank You letters from churches, fraternal organizations and charities for in-kind donations. We are proud to have developed four free museums, the only such facility in the USA to do so. Our main attraction, the Natural History [taxidermy] display with over 500 exhibits, is valued at more than $6 million. We also claim to have the largest gift store anywhere, with over 60,000 square feet of space; a 25,000-square-foot warehouse permitting us to buy large product containers from around the world to offer these unique gifts. We are adding to our Fun Park— which employs six fun-loving individuals—that is a great place for children while their parents wine and dine at the nearby outdoor café or join in on the frivolity. Using the Disney philosophy of creating new activities and attractions to encourage and assure return visits, we have done so throughout the years. Recently, for example, a partnership for our Video Arcade brought us over $400,000 in the latest and greatest machines. We then acquired a Hunt Brothers Pizza franchise, an additional venue to book many more children’s birthday parties. Visitation from residents bringing their out-of-town guests has significantly increased our attendance. And while those numbers have increased, our largest surge is from local families with children and their puppies—yep, most of the property is dog-friendly. Our Thursday night Car CruiseIn also continues to build in attendance week after week. The Shell Factory & Nature Park has even hosted visits by such influential figures as Florida Governor Rick Scott, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, former Kansas Senator Bob Dole, Arizona Senator John McCain and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Pam and I enjoy greeting those returning time and again and mentioning they have noticed the improvements. Our good food and great staff continue building attendance at the restaurant and special-event facilities where we simultaneously seat and serve over 500 guests. Our future is in continuously building our events, now exceeding 150 a year, such as Single Mingle, held Wednesday evenings and in its eighth year. Singles [and some couples] fill the Dolphin Room— we have even had four couples who met there and subsequently were married. We have great appreciation for BankUnited for believing in our changes and the potential of the property by rewarding us with a first mortgage during a time when lending was extremely difficult to come by. Our county commissioners leased us land, allowing us to expand our parking capacity to over 700. We are happy to announce we have moved into the list of Top 10 attractions [by attendance] in the state of Florida. Our newest program, Snores & Roars, is due to start May 2017, with overnight stays for campers and parents in our Nature Park. This will include an evening meal and a marshmallow roast, close-animal encounters and enrichment activities.