Cedar Fair's Ouimet proud he could help Sandusky

SANDUSKY — Retiring Cedar Fair CEO Matt Ouimet says he's proud of what he's done to help revive Sandusky.He recently reflected on his time in Sandusky since arriving at Cedar Point in 2012."You don't know this about me, but I grew up in a small town in upstate New York, that I would call rural poor, outside Cooperstown," Ouimet told the Register. "It's still is rural poor. I had always hoped in my career to be able to find something to take jobs back to that area. And I could never figure that out."He continued: "But when I got here, what I saw was an opportunity for us to take a more active position in the community, to help make this community be very proud of what they are."Ouimet said when he first arrived in Sandusky, residents would apologize for the city and said it used to be better."You don't hear that anymore," he said.Ouimet is stepping down at the end of the year as chief executive officer of Cedar Fair, a post he held since 2012, when he succeeded legendary Cedar Fair leader Richard Kinzel. On Jan. 1, Ouimet will take the newly-created role of executive chairman of the Cedar Fair board of directors.His successor as CEO will be Richard Zimmerman, 57, who became president in 2016. Zimmerman began with Cedar Fair in 1998, playing a key role in initiatives such as Fast Lane, the policy Ouimet implemented allowing customers who pay extra to go to the front of the line.Reflection and the futureDuring an interview with the Register, conducted as Ouimet sat on a bench inside the park, Ouimet explained it was important for him to have a good succession plan. He said he learned about that need when he worked for The Walt Disney Company and witnessed the problems created by Michael Eisner's failure to handle his succession."Richard is a perfect choice," Ouimet said. "It's a little bit like I took him for dry runs for six years. He's been our chief operating officer for most of my six years."Zimmerman has a great team in place to help him, Ouimet said.Although he did not have ties to Sandusky specifically, or any experience working for Cedar Fair when he was brought in to replace Dick Kinzel, Cedar Fair's longtime leader, Ouimet, says he is proud of what he did to help Sandusky. He worked with new leadership that came in at about the same time, such as Sandusky city manager Eric Wobser and Erie County commissioner Pat Shenigo.Cedar Fair also stepped up by supporting an increase in the amusement admissions tax."I don't know of many companies, particularly public companies, that would support an increase in a tax that they pay 95 percent of," Ouimet said. "The admissions tax fundamentally changed the economics of the city."Although he opened many new rides and programs at Cedar Fair's 10 other amusement parks, Ouimet also made many investments inside Cedar Point. This includes new rides such as GateKeeper and the new sports complex just east of Sandusky.It did not escape Ouimet's attention that the Golden Ticket Awards this year again named Cedar Point as the Best Park."I'm extremely proud of Cedar Point," he said. "Cedar Point is our flagship. When I go around the country, people don't always spark to the idea that there's Kings Island. Everybody knows Cedar Point."He continued: "I don't think that's going to change. I think Cedar Point will always be our flagship."Ouimet added that he believes Zimmerman will keep Sandusky as the headquarters for Cedar Fair.But was Ouimet ever tempted to consider moving the company headquarters?"Logistically tempted, when the airport continued to reduce flights," he said, apparently referring to Cleveland Hopkins. "It's a lot harder now than it used to be. But I'd never take the soul out of Sandusky."Ouimet, 59, says what he'll miss the most about his job is the moments he spent walking through Cedar Point and using his power to move visitors to the front of the line for rides.He said he looked for customers who apparently could not afford to pay extra for Fast Lane service."I would look for people whose circumstances looked like they could use a break," he said.So, what aspect of the job will he miss the least?"Airline travel is an easy one," he saidHis impending exit gives him a bit more freedom to discuss certain topics, such as his favorite Cedar Point ride."Up to this point, I wasn't allowed to have one," he said. "But now, I will tell you personally, I am in love with Gatekeeper. It was the first ride that our team picked, designed and put in place. I thought it started to say to the world: 'see, this is the next generation of Cedar Point.' I want this place to be successful for another 150 years."Favorite rides and enhancing the regionHe added he looks forward to trying the new Steel Vengeance. Ouimet's favorite legacy ride is Blue Streak, which he had repainted after taking over.As he prepares to leave, Ouimet is looking forward to several new projects that are taking shape, including the new indoor sports complex, which will draw people to the area in colder months."Think about off-season — this place gets a little quiet," he said.He's pleased that the planned new degree program in resort and attraction management is being set up in downtown Sandusky.He also revealed Cedar Point plans to extend the park's boardwalk, making it possible for people using the main parking lot to walk along it to the beach, relieving traffic pressure on the road that runs to the far side of the peninsula.Richard Zimmerman has plenty of plans for additional new projects for the next few years, Ouimet said."You'll continue to see us invest here," he said.Ouimet said he'd like to see additional investment in the Sandusky area by others."I think the Holiday Inn Express is a great idea," he said. "I worry about hotel inventory off the property. If it's not kept up and guests come, they don't know what they're getting into necessarily."Ouimet said he noticed areas that didn't look good when he came to Sandusky. He bought an abandoned car lot on Cleveland Road near Hotel Breakers, turning it into a maintenance facility for Cedar Point."My point is, we can't do it all," he said. "We need help in doing it."Because the beach and the hotels at Cedar Point are now in better shape, "we're going to start marketing in a broader region. You'll see our commercials in Chicago," Ouimet said.By playing up both Cedar Point and other attractions, such as fishing, "it could really be a boost for the local economy," he said. The Disney experienceOuimet spent 17 years working for The Walt Disney Company, which is closely associated with Disney characters such as Mickey Mouse. Cedar Fair announced on Sept. 12 that it was extending its licensing agreement until 2025 for the exclusive use of "Peanuts" characters such as Charlie Brown and Snoopy at its 11 amusement parks.Asked if Disney taught him the usefulness of putting a face on amusement parks, Ouimet says:"Absolutely. Particularly the Peanuts characters. If you think about the longevity of the Peanuts characters, they've been around 50 years plus. As you grow up, you still see the Christmas special, you still see the Great Pumpkin special, you still see the Easter special. More than anything for us, they let families with young children know that we're a place for them, too."Ouimet actually lived at Disneyland for six months during his Disneyland career."I used it to get a deep understanding of what I had taken on," he said. He lived in a hotel at Disneyland, wandering through the park, discovering secrets such as the basketball court inside the Matterhorn."At the end of the day, it was nice to get in my house and get my family with me," he said.What's next?Ouimet formerly lived in Avon Lake and now is a resident of Westlake, where he's selling his home. He plans to maintain his California residence, staying in executive housing when he comes to Sandusky. Married with two grown children, Ouimet says he doesn't currently plan to take another full time job.Although Ouimet helped bring change to Cedar Fair, he also took part in its traditions, such as everyone pitching in to pick up trash.Walking through the park Tuesday with a reporter, photographer, and Cedar Fair executive, he often darted away to pick up small pieces of paper from the ground and put them in the trash can.Ouimet says that it's become such a habit, he even picks up trash when he's visiting a shopping mall."My wife says, 'You don't have to do that here'," he said.Reach reporter Tom Jackson at jackson@sanduskyregister.com and follow him on Twitter @jacksontom.Matt Ouimet stands outside the entrance to Cedar Point. Ouimet, the CEO and president of Cedar Fair, Cedar Point's parent company, is stepping down at the end of the year as chief executive officer, a post he held since 2012, when he succeeded legendary Cedar Fair leader Richard Kinzel.In this 2014 file photo, Matt Ouimet, president and CEO of Cedar Fair, center waves to a live camera as employees and guests close the New York Stock Exchang at Cedar Point. Cedar Fair, recognized as FUN on the New York Stock Exchange, closed at $71.69 per share in late April, marking the highest amount in company history.In this 2016 photo, Cedar Fair CEO Matt Ouimet holds two thumbs up during a ride on Valravn.In this 2015 photo, Matt Ouimet, CEO and President of Cedar Fair, looks out over the Cedar Point beach behind Hotel Breakers during a stop at the park. Matt Ouimet, CEO and President of Cedar Fair, walks the midway at Cedar Point.