Upscale hospitality operator to cozy up in Winter Park Timber Resorts’ new headquarters brings 80 high-paying jobs
An upscale hotel and resort operator has officially decided to move its headquarters from Aspen, Colo., to Winter Park early next year and will look to expand its presence on the East Coast.
Timbers Resorts, which manages 15 properties across the U.S. including one in Jupiter, will employ 80 people with an average salary of at least $92,848 within three years at its new site. The company is receiving $560,000 in state and local taxpayer dollars as an incentive.
“We hit a point in our growth where, while Aspen Valley is stunning and beautiful, the challenge is it’s a much smaller community with a high cost of living,” CEO Greg Spencer said. “There were a few barriers of entry to recruiting folks.”
The median home cost in Aspen is $1.4 million. In Orlando, that number stands at $228,000.
The new jobs will include management, sales, information technology and administration.
In August, Winter Park officials approved $56,000 in incentives over a sixyear period to start next fiscal year.
That followed a similar move by Orange County to provide the same amount — that is, 10 percent of a $560,000 financial incentive, under the state’s Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund program.
Spencer said he was born in Orlando but he also was impressed by the economic development team here after having considered other locations including Dallas, Denver and Atlanta.
“It was amazing how organized they are and how thorough they are,” he said. “It demystified things for me. We didn’t start this process thinking the Orlando area was the one place we had to move. But after going through it, it was a no-brainer.”
Spencer credited the work of the Orlando Economic Partnership, which helped recruit the company as Timbers sought a new location.
Both partnership President and CEO Tim Giuliani and Spencer touted the region’s recent tourism numbers, which this year hit 72 million tourists, as a major reason for the company’s decision to relocate here.
The 19-year-old company specializes in developing, marketing and operating vacation homes, boutique hotels and resorts and luxury residence clubs in highly sought-after locations like beach resorts in Hawaii, ski lodges in Colorado and golf courses like in Jupiter.
Company officials say locating in Florida will help its plans to expand locations on the East Coast and stage a move into the Caribbean islands and Europe.
Spencer said he expects Timbers to lock up new locations in Florida, as well.
The company should have about 15 employees in its new office by the end of January, he said, although the office will likely not be ready for a move in until February.
“We are not the size of Disney or the size of Marriott Vacation,” Spencer said. “They are great brands but we are a leader in the ultra-luxurious experience. We provide a great alternative for people who want to work in that area of hospitality.”
Economic development leaders from the region said adding Timbers only bolsters the area’s claims as a leader in the hospitality industry.
“We know their presence will add to the vibrancy of Winter Park and we look forward to welcoming the company and all of their team to their new home,” Winter Park Mayor Steven Leary said in a statement.