Following the sale of Busch Entertainment Corporation (BEC) to Blackstone Capital Partners there comes a new name for the company that operates some of America’s best-known and popular theme parks.
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment replaces BEC with the closing of the sale announced jointly on December 1 by Anheuser-Busch InBev and The Blackstone Group.
“SeaWorld has been a brand associated with quality family entertainment since SeaWorld San Diego opened its gates for the first time in March 1964,” says Jim Atchison, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment president. “It is one of the world’s most widely recognised and respected family travel brands.”
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment operates 10 parks across the United States including SeaWorlds in Orlando, San Diego and San Antonio; Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida, and Williamsburg, Virginia; Discovery Cove and Aquatica in Orlando; and Sesame Place near Philadelphia, and the Adventure Island and Water Country USA waterparks in Tampa and Williamsburg.
Despite the new name, little else about the company changes with the acquisition by Blackstone, Atchison added. The leadership team, park portfolio, operating philosophy, commitment to quality and workforce is unchanged. “While this is the start of an exciting new phase in our evolution, we remain dedicated to the same values and principles that have been the foundation of our success for five decades.”
