Sigma Capital Group: John Meeske

Mr. John Meeske, Advisor, Destination Resorts

Mr. Meeske's 35 year professional career has been focused on the ownership, management, marketing, financing, development, and repositioning of Destination Resorts. His expertise spans golf, ski, tennis, conference, marina resorts, resort clubs, resort development projects, franchises and destination restaurants at regional and national properties. He has held entrepreneurial, developmental, corporate and professorial positions within the industry.

Early in his career, Mr. Meeske purchased Shanty Creek, a small resort in Michigan, which he expanded by adding a Hilton franchise to the property, later selling to Club Corp. The surviving entity, Shanty Creek Resort and Conference Center, drew an investment in excess of $50 million and has earned a reputation as being one of the finest regional destination resorts in the Midwest.

After Mr. Meeske sold the Shanty Creek Resort to ClubCorp, he stayed on to lead ClubResorts, a newly formed division of ClubCorp that would focus predominantly on the resort industry. As President of ClubResorts, Mr. Meeske acquired or negotiated with, conducted feasibility studies on, or developed business and marketing plans on over 300 resorts in the U.S., Canada, Caribbean Islands, Hawaii, Mexico, and Europe. The ClubResorts division (now called The Pinehurst Company), was responsible for acquiring and divesting resorts, turning around resorts, building profits, adding developments, repositioning, refinancing, and upgrading a variety of resort properties. ClubResorts was responsible for the turn-around, financing, ownership, and/or management of numerous properties, including Pinehurst Hotel and Country Club, Barton Creek Conference Hotel and Country Club, The Homestead Resort, Quail Hollow Hotel and Country Club, Shanty Creek Golf & Ski Resort and Development, Schuss Mountain Golf & Ski Resort and Development, Port de Plaisanse, and a selection of workout resorts under contract.

Subsequent to his successful life as an entrepreneur and developer of destination resorts, Mr. Meeske was instrumental in creating the Center for Resort Business at the Reeves School of Business at Methodist College. The Resort Management program is a resort-oriented program, a homogenious program with the College's professional golf and tennis management programs.

Mr. Meeske earned his MBA in 1967 from Cornell University.

Email: meeske@sigmacapital.net