Is Mr. Falfas really going back?

The PointGuru said:
You have to consider what if Falfas had not been fired by Kinzel and only disciplined? Would Ouimet have forced Falfas out, or would have Falfas fallen into line with the other staff that remained.

Would Ouimet even have been hired as CEO if this little spat hadn't happened or would Falfas have assumed the role of CEO as was sort of planned?

I guess that is one positive that comes out of this - Ouimet comes in from outside with some fresh insight and thought. I am sure Jack is a good guy, but his leadership style seemed to be more in line with Kinzel than Ouimet and I am not sure that's what the company really needed to keep moving forward. Perhaps that's not really fair to Jack and he was just following the dictator's orders as everyone else was, but hearing stories of him going around the park and cutting entrance positions when it was slow, etc didn't inspire confidence that he was some sort of great leader waiting in the wings.

I doubt any board makes the most important decision (picking a CEO)for a company because of one little spat with a subordinate. Falfas may have been being groomed for the job; but, with the change in the direction of the board they likely would have still done national search. Ouimet likely would have been chosen by the new board anyways for the reasons you stated. The question remains, would Falfas have remained under Ouimet. If he would have, then him returning in the near future is not as farfetched as some may believe.

Wow, Matt, I forgot all about those stories. Yeah, that kind of thing seems absurd in the current corporate culture. From what I understand, Ouimet is in Sandusky a day or two a week. I suspect the COO would also be out and about more, not worrying about if some kid making seven bucks an hour is working a ride entrance. That's an absurd thing for someone in the C-suite to be worrying about in a billion-dollar company. You hire good people for that kind of thing.

Jeff, I agree with you on one point, entrance positions should not be cut! But think about this for one minute, those positions were being cut by Kinzel and Hildebrandt NOT Mr. Falfas. The COO knows the importance of those positions and they would not be cut unless Kinzel was pushing Hildebrandt to cut them. And you know Hildebrandt isn't going to even attempt to argue a point with Kinzel. If Kinzel told Hildebrant to jump off a bridge Hildebrandt would probably tell Kinzel that he will jump off he bridge 3 times for Kinzel.

My take on the entrance positions...Falfas hasn't been working for CF for a few years now correct? Where are the entrance positions at for the rides that don't have Fast Lane?

Don't get me wrong, I (along with everybody else) don't know the full story. Soooo on that note, I'm just going to sit here, mind my business, and hope for the best for Jack and Cedar Fair.

Falfas was CP's operations manager during the years CP pushed guests through the rides faster then any other time. He knows operations, I can certainly believe his hands were tied by Kinzel.

Kinzel is forced to step down from the Cedar Fair board when he turns 72 in June. So he won't be around much longer.

http://www.sanduskyregister.com/article/cedar-point/3707591

Pete said:
Falfas was CP's operations manager during the years CP pushed guests through the rides faster then any other time. He knows operations, I can certainly believe his hands were tied by Kinzel.

Exactly! I remember in 2008 Wicked Twister had 6 people checking the trains instead of the 4 that check the train now. Interval would be so much easier if all rides were staffed properly like they used to be.

When I was a sweeperette it was normal to see Dick leading people around the park cutting positions as they would pass by. Sad but true but I feel the guests suffered the most.

Twister doesn't need 6 people most of the time.

So you're telling me Dick would walk around the park and just fire people on the spot...just like that....with no warning?

"You're fired....you're fired....you're fired..."

I find that difficult to believe.

Fire? I took it to mean he was sending people home for the shift.

Ha ha ha no Kevin, they weren't fired. They were sent home for the day and in some cases for the week. He thought he was doing the right thing but he was really doing an injustice to the guest.

Dick didn't seem to understand operations. Too bad, that's the reason people came to the park. They certainly didn't come to the park to eat hot dogs.

Kinzel and Falfas both were idiots. It's a good thing for the company that they are both no longer there.

Sorry Freak1987 but you are only 50% correct. While one of the two may resemble that comment, Mr. Falfas surly does not! In fact, Mr. Falfas was one of the most respected operations leaders in the industry when he was COO!

Sounds like CatWoman needs a WAAAMMMBULANCE.....

Seriously, sounds like you hold a serious grudge. You created a login name JUST to make this thread. You don't comment on anything else.

I question whether you are a Cedar Point fan or a pot stirrer.

No, it's true. Jack was well respected in all the positions that he has held with the company. I've known him on and off since the mid 1970's and the man truly loves what he does. I know that the staff at Knotts would welcome him back with open arms, and that he enjoyed his tenure as the head of West Coast operations, but his heart has always been at Cedar Point. I've always found him to be a fair man when I was working for him, and later when was out in the business on my own.

Jeff said:
Twister doesn't need 6 people most of the time.

I mean, I don't wann toot my own horn, but my crew was fast enough to hit interval with 4 checking the train (toot toot), however, with the amount of times you have to release the harnesses and recheck the train, 6 people seems pretty necessary. Not to mention Raptor's other 2 platform positions that got cut kind of hurt their chance of hitting interval and cause trains to constantly stack up.

Falfas loved what he did at CP. The stories he told and how excited he would be every year for opening day was just awesome seeing a COO so excited for work. But whatever the outcome, I just hope he's happy whether it be with Cedar Fair, or his business with reviving amusement parks.

I have dealt with Falfas during my employment there. He lost any of my respect I might have had for him for the way he acted as Kinzel's little puppet and micromanages the park. The day he barged up the platform and just started yelling and spatzing out when he didn't know the situation clearly demonstrates why I do not like him.