Welk Resorts Earns 2012 ACE Employer of the Year Award from The American Resort Development Association / June 2012

June 18, 2012 (SAN MARCOS, CA) — California-based Welk Resorts, which operates premier timeshare properties in Escondido and Palm Springs, CA, and Cabo San Lucas, MX, as well as a theater and resort hotel in Branson, MO, received the 2012 ACE Employer of the Year Award from the American Resort Development Association (ARDA).

Operating premier timeshare properties for over 40,000 owners in San Diego and Palm Springs, CA, Cabo San Lucas, MX, and Branson, MO, California-based Welk Resorts, a timeshare industry leader, is no stranger to receiving recognition for its outstanding guest and owner satisfaction by taking pride in meeting the needs of today’s families with their “I will take CARE of it for you” mentality. With numerous Trip Advisor awards, ranging from becoming the number one position in the Cabo market on Trip Advisor within three months of opening their Sirena del Mar property in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and in 2011 being named a “Top 25 Resort In The World” by Trip Advisor (#11), Welk Resorts is well on its way to exceeding all expectations.

Welk Resort’s appeal is undeniable. From 2009 to 2011, when most development and timeshare companies were retrenching, Welk Resorts grew its top-line revenue more than 17 percent to US$105 million. Jon Fredricks, President and CEO of the thriving company, credits Welk’s success to a corporate culture that provides fertile ground for creating the high-performance teams.

The ACE Employer of the Year Award recognizes an employer that has demonstrated exceptional commitment to its employees. According to ARDA, Welk Resorts was selected because, “They treat their employees like family. From training and continued-learning opportunities to promotion from within the company, rewards for healthy living, and a vacation-donation program, Welk Resorts has a long tradition of giving back to its employees.”

ARDA’s prestigious awards are given to individuals, teams or resorts that have demonstrated outstanding accomplishments with remarkable service and dedication to the profession. Nominations for an ARDA award are submitted by industry peers and selected by a panel of judges who must each have a minimum of 8 years’ experience in their field.

“It’s about recognizing the ‘best of the best’ in the vacation-ownership industry,” said Howard Nusbaum, President and CEO of ARDA. “It’s an opportunity to take time and applaud the efforts of individuals who have been recognized by their peers for the impact and perseverance they have shown in their professional lives.”

Keeping the tradition alive that was first started by founder Lawrence Welk, a bandleader who hosted one of TV’s most enduring series. Welk employees demonstrate the ideals established by their beloved Lawrence: kindness, compassion and generosity. “This is the Welk legacy that we are challenged to live up to every day,” says Jon Fredricks, President and CEO of Welk Resorts. Fredricks, grandson of Lawrence Welk, has seen Welk Resorts evolve over the past 40+ years, becoming a well-recognized name in timeshares and resort-class entertainment.

This is not the first time Welk has been recognized as a great place to work. Last year it won the Workplace Excellence Medallion Award from the San Diego Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). The resort company was also named as one of the finalists for the “Healthiest Company of the Year” Awards by the San Diego Business Journal for its ongoing Well Being Program.

“Winning the ACE Employer of the Year award is really about our employees—they are who make us shine. We are honored to acknowledge them in this way. There were over 475 ARDA Award submissions this year and competition was fierce, which makes us doubly proud for receiving this prestigious award,” said Fredricks.

Now with almost 900 employees on staff and consisting of four unique, family-friendly locations, Welk Resorts presents over 1,100 luxury villas, hotels, suites, and penthouses in a variety of vacation spots from the beauty of north San Diego’s wine country to the unique Coachella Valley and from the lush opulence of Cabo San Lucas to the Ozark mountains of Branson. Welk Resort’s purpose of “Connecting People, Creating Fun!” is clearly working, making this company, with its deep history, firmly grounded for a dynamic and prosperous future.