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Bulldozer Camp Founder Tom Lix announced today that despite commitments from a number of interested investors, sufficient monies had not been raised and that the project was being put on indefinite hold. "It is with great reluctance that I make this announcement" Lix stated. He went on to say that "There seems to have been a subtle yet significant shift in attitudes regarding the discretionary use of fuel, and that's having an impact on our investor pool. While the cost of diesel fuel is a relatively minor line item in the projected Bulldozer Camp financials, investors are taking a wait and see attitude about making any further commitments to a project of this scope."
Bulldozer Camp remains the ultimate "Big Toy" adventure but Lix went on to say that it was unrealistic to continue revising the opening schedule and that current investors would be released from their commitments. "We've had some internal discussions about strategic partnerships, and some of those conversations are being pursued" said Lix, "It's also time to be realistic and move on to other opportunities."
Bulldozer Camp was announced on June 21, 2004 as the ultimate rock crushing, earth shaking, adrenaline pumping big toy experience, a unique blend of heavy metal and diesel powered Jurassic Park®. The vision for Bulldozer Camp included over 1,000 tons of heavy equipment ranging from massive bulldozers and front-end loaders to huge off-highway dump trucks and heavy steel-tracked excavators; certainly an incredible "once-in-a-lifetime adventure."
With Disney celebrating 50 years of theme park success and Sir Richard Branson touting consumer space travel with Virgin Galactic, the ultimate "Big Toy" adventure, Bulldozer Camp™ has launched its latest marketing promotion with a multi-media digital preview at www.bulldozercamp.com.
The web helps illustrate the Camps' unique and creative blend of heavy metal and diesel powered Jurassic Park® with some monster truck; sand box on steroids, play in the mud, industrial strength Disney mixed in. It's the ultimate rock crushing, earth shaking, adrenaline pumping big toy experience
With over 1,000 tons of heavy equipment ranging from massive bulldozers and front-end loaders to huge off-highway dump trucks and heavy steel-tracked excavators, it's an incredible "once-in-a-lifetime adventure." Add to the mix an upscale techno-industrial luxury hotel, volcanic mud spa and more toys, of course. There's 8 miles of off-road track for turbo-powered all-terrain speed wagons, jet boats for the rapids of Snake River, an underground shooting range, power Para-Glider training plus plans for an extreme golf experience where the caddies need tricked out Jeeps® just to get you from hole to hole.
Wait, wait one minute. Bulldozer Camp hasn't been built yet, it's still the vision of former Yankelovich marketing consultant turned serial entrepreneur Tom Lix but he's well on his way. He's already purchased almost a full square mile of rugged terrain in the temperate corner of southeast Washington, right up along the winding Snake River — a perfect geographic playpen. With glacier formed ridges jutting over two-thousand feet into a clear blue sky, breath-taking views with vibrant colors, wildlife that ranges from mountain lions to grazing horses, herds of mule deer and soaring red-tailed hawks — and of course the requisite gravel and stone ledges.
Is he looking for investors? Yes. Lix candidly admits it's an unorthodox concept and states "I'll admit it's a wacky sounding idea, but the cash flow and profitability should be outstanding." He goes on to say that "I've done my fair share of street corner interviews with everyone from Wall Street executives and Beverly Hills shoppers to Microsoft managers who wanted to know if I'd take their AMEX card for a deposit then and there." Reaction from both men, and perhaps surprisingly, women as well has been consistently positive and exciting.
J. Walker Smith, Ph.D., president of the renowned marketing consultancy Yankelovich, Inc. joins travel expert Rudy Maxa and former Microsoft executive Mike Klozar as the newest member of the L9 LLC advisory board.
Described by Fortune magazine as "one of America's leading analysts of consumer trends," Smith is a much sought after advisor to Fortune 500 companies. He is the co-author of three critically acclaimed, bestselling books, including Life Is Not Work, Work Is Not Life, chosen by the Wall Street Journal as one of the ten best work-life books for the new millennium.
An outspoken futurist and authority on consumer trends in industries that include entertainment, travel and hospitality, Smith's insights into marketing issues were recently featured in American Demographics magazine as a cover story profile. In addition, Smith provides weekly commentary for the public radio show "Smart City."
In 2005 he was a commencement speaker at the University of North Carolina where he holds three degrees, including a Ph.D. in Mass Communication Research, and for which he serves on the Board of Advisors for the School of Journalism and Mass Communication Research.
L9 LLC, owner/developer of the Bulldozer Camp™ project has released "Architects' Sketchbook," the third publication in a series of three visually oriented communications which have included "Imagination" and "Day in the Life."
Designed to record the architectural design process, "Architects' Sketchbook" takes the reader from preliminary sketches to more refined drawings and plans. Shown are some of the design ideas for the Bulldozer Lodge™, Volcanic Mud Spa as well as sketches for structural bridges, equipment buildings and guest residence units.
Second in a series of three, L9 LLC has released "Day in the Life," an addition to the previously released "Imagination" story. DITL describes a typical stay for a Bulldozer Camp™ guest which starts with arrival by chartered MD902 Explorer helicopter... "a low altitude, heart pounding slip and slide to the east along the curves of the Snake River. Touch the so-called "watermelon flats" and circle back west with a thousand foot power climb to the Wild Woman Landing... this is it. You have arrived at Bulldozer Camp."
Further descriptions, a mélange of text and photos, place readers right in the heart of the experience. Everything's there from sumptuous meals to luxury lodging and of course an immersion both in the equipment and the competitions including the Power Wishbone™ and Steel Pancake™.
First in an expected series of visually oriented communications, L9 LLC has announced the release of "Imagination" — a short story pictorial which provides a stunningly descriptive introduction to the Bulldozer Camp™ vision and proposed project plan.
Hotelier Bob Peck has joined the senior management team of L9 LLC and will hold the position of President/COO with specific responsibilities for the Bulldozer Camp™ project. In announcing the addition of Peck, CEO Tom Lix stated that "We can't really talk much about where Bob currently works, and I'll even admit we've disguised his name a little since he's still gainfully employed as the General Manager of a full-service resort and upscale hotel property in Southern California." Lix went on to say "But, you'd be impressed."
Luxury spa, golf, tennis, multiple restaurants (award winning, of course), banquet facilities, picture perfect grounds and a staff that stands well above what you might see and experience at competitive properties. It's testament to the reputation Peck has developed in the industry, a reputation for exceptional guest services, solid financial management, and well above average programs for staff recruitment, training and retention.
A slot in the well respected and quite rigorous management "track" at the Hyatt Corporation insured his training in virtually all aspects of hotel management and operations. He's worked everything from housekeeping and laundry to front desk services and "pre-opening" management for properties ranging from city-based 300 room business hotels to 1,000 room plus destination resorts.
After more than a decade at Hyatt properties in areas as diverse as Greenville, South Carolina and San Antonio, Texas to the Hawaiian Island of Maui, Peck made a career decision to focus on resort properties and took the position of Director of Operations at the Westin Innisbrook Resort in Tampa, Florida. 1,000 acres, 1,200 rooms, 4 golf courses, 11 tennis courts, 6 swimming pools, private memberships, and even a full complement of managed condominiums. As a graduate of the top ranked world class Hotel and Restaurant Administration program at Washington State University, this was a critical phase in the process of gaining a general manager position at a prestige property.
Active in professional, business and community organizations, Peck is on the Board of Directors of the city/metro area (yes, we're still disguising the actual city) Convention and Visitors Board, a Member of the city/metro area Hotel Motel Association, on the Board of Directors for the local Community Foundation and "resort liaison" to the City Council and Community Planning Board.
The award winning, Seattle based architectural firm of Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen, www.oskaarchitects.com, has been selected for the design and development of the L9 LLC Bulldozer Camp project. CEO Tom Lix announced the selection and specifically referenced their commitment to bridging nature, culture and people with inspiring surroundings.
The firm has extensive experience across a wide range of building types, including contemporary museums, college and university buildings, places of worship, art galleries and even a recently completed large-scale winery and visitors center.
The principal and lead architect on the project, Tom Kundig, is renowned for his innovative and often surprising blend of art, craft and the human experience. With designs typically characterized by solidly massed hybrid exterior forms, Kundig tends toward the strong, permanent and clear expressions provided by elemental materials, both natural and industrial in character. Using timber, concrete, and steel, his designs express both their inherent nature while often revealing a broad display of intrinsic colors and textures.
Of special relevance to Bulldozer Camp, Tom has often integrated mechanical devices as both operating features and working pieces of contemporary art in his designs. He clearly recognizes the visceral beauty of machines and their components in his architecture, one of the reasons that he was selected as the lead architect for this project.
L9 LLC has announced the acquisition of 536 acres in south-east Washington State for the purpose of developing the Bulldozer Camp™ project. The site was selected based on a series of factors including market proximity, acquisition and operating costs as well as climate suitability.
Along the winding Snake River, in the temperate Palouse region of southeast Washington, near the borders of Oregon and Idaho, Bulldozer Camp sits on almost a full square mile of rugged terrain — a perfect geographic playpen. With glacier formed ridges jutting over two-thousand feet into a clear blue sky, breath-taking views with vibrant colors, wildlife that ranges from mountain lions to grazing horses, herds of mule deer and soaring red-tailed hawks — and of course the requisite gravel and stone ledges as backdrop to the Bulldozer Camp play area.
The camp is expected to offer just the right mix of supervised learning, hard play, structured competition and an "after-work" relaxed environment. Accommodations will be designed to appeal to an upscale and affluent target market while merging a techno-simplicity with the raw beauty of the environment.
Joining the Advisory Board of L9 LLC is former Group Manager of the Microsoft Network Service for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Mike Klozar.
An innovative thinker, technology-savvy problem-solver and creative deal-maker, Klozar enjoys a blissful and adventurous "early retirement" in both Seattle and Paris with his equally creative writer and Cordon Bleu trained chef/wife.
Most of his career was spent with the Microsoft Corporation, which he joined in the late eighties. Contributing to the success of core software products including Excel, Windows 95 and Access, Klozar was the founding editor of MSN.COM and played a key and principal role in the development of critical long-term alliances with a diverse range of partners ranging from financial service and technology providers to retail and traditional media outlets.
L9 LLC, in conjunction with its Bulldozer Camp™ has announced the addition of travel expert Rudy Maxa to its' Advisory Board. Host of the award-winning PBS television series "Smart Travels" and the bi-weekly "Savvy Traveler" commentator for the widely acclaimed American Public Media radio show "Marketplace,"
Maxa is a contributing editor to National Geographic Traveler and is a frequent contributor on the subject of travel in publications which include the Washington Post, Forbes, GQ, Travel and Leisure, the Los Angeles Times and others. He is also a frequent guest and travel consultant appearing on CNN, CNBC, MSNBC and the Fox News Channel.
CEO Tom Lix announced the formation of L9 LLC with a goal of developing "reality-based, experiential entertainment" and with an immediate focus on the development of Bulldozer Camp™. Described as the ultimate rock crushing, earth shaking, big toy experience, Bulldozer Camp will provide a unique and creative blend of heavy metal and diesel powered Jurassic Park® with some monster truck; sand box on steroids, play in the mud, industrial strength Disney mixed in.
With plans for over 1000 tons of heavy equipment ranging from massive bulldozers and front-end loaders to huge off-highway dump trucks and heavy steel-tracked excavators. It's an incredible "once-in-a-lifetime" adventure.
Most recently the President and founder of application services provider Public Interactive®, Lix has over 30 years experience running both start-up and established marketing service and software companies, Prior to founding Public Interactive in 1995, Lix was President of Market Pulse™, a Cambridge-based database software company and subsidiary of Computer Corporation of America.
Previously, he was President and Chief Operating Officer of Yankelovich Partners, where he consulted for leading hospitality and entertainment companies including Harrah's Entertainment and the InterContinental Hotel Group PLC, owners of Holiday Inn® and Crowne Plaza® Hotels; leading media companies and brands such as HBO®, Time magazine, and Viacom's MTV Networks; travel and transportation companies including American Airlines, Amtrak and Northwest Airlines; as well as service delivery and technology innovators that included FedEx®, Compaq Computer and Visa International.
A hands-on manager with his own fair share of knuckle busting and heavy lifting as an enlisted diesel mechanic and fire-team leader in the U.S. Navy, Lix later earned his doctorate in marketing from Boston University.
Lix was a once upon a time student activist and college dropout who hitchhiked cross country and fought forest fires in Alaska at the age of 17. As a footnote, he's the founder of the first university sponsored motorcycle club in America and remains a classic motorcycle enthusiast.
An avid sailor and aspiring metal sculptor, in those rare moments of free time it's an even chance you'll find Lix somewhere offshore sailing his classic 32' Ketch "Relief", rebuilding the carburetors on a 1969 Triumph Bonneville or deep in the basements of various art colleges across the country, pouring molten bronze or welding scrap iron.
Of course both the ketch and the motorcycle have been sold to help finance the Bulldozer Camp start-up, but that's to be expected.
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