You may’t succeed and thrive for 35 years and a number of generations with out studying to pivot and adapt to vary, and Raines has actually accomplished that. However for the longtime hospitality firm, there was one fixed, and that’s placing individuals first.
It’s that philosophy that has been a core tenet of the built-in Florence, South Carolina-based growth, administration, and funding firm and has helped it steadily develop its portfolio of Southeastern properties. Gray Raines, managing accomplice, Raines—who’s the son of founder Mark Raines and first joined the corporate in 2003 as common supervisor of the Springhill Suites by Marriott in Florence—acknowledged a few of the modifications which have occurred. “It’s been an evolution from the place we began in hospitality to the place we at the moment are. We began with one resort in Florence and grew to some 40-plus accommodations unfold all through the Southeast. It’s actually form of a loopy journey that we’ve been on with loads of fast development,” he mentioned.
Gray additional underscored the significance of individuals, particularly referencing the corporate’s some 1,400 staff. “I wish to say now we have the perfect operations staff within the enterprise. We’ve bought such a superb core group of parents which were with us for a very long time, and we see that continued success collectively,” he maintained.
Whereas its origin as an organization started in 1954 when Rock Raines entered the fuel business, Mark opted to observe his ardour for hospitality in the course of the ’80s, ultimately opening the Tremendous 8 Motel in Florence in 1992. Within the mid-’90s, Mark, his father Rock, and his brother David fashioned Raines Growth Group (RDG).
Chrisie Raines—mom of Gray and firm founder/CFO—recalled Mark’s steadfast want to be in hospitality.
“He simply needed accommodations, and to all people he talked to, particularly businessmen, he requested, ‘The place do you keep once you journey?’ They at all times mentioned, ‘Courtyard [by Marriott] or Hampton Inn by Hilton,’ and so he bought his sights set on constructing a Courtyard. He cold-called Marriott and requested, ‘What do I’ve to do to construct a Courtyard?’ and so they laughed. They mentioned, ‘You’ve bought to personal accommodations and present which you could function.’”
That’s precisely what the late Mark Raines did. The corporate would open a Courtyard by Marriott in Florence in 1998 on Hospitality Boulevard, a web site that will ultimately be dwelling to 5 select-service Marriott accommodations operated by Raines. “It’s form of simply been huge open from there,” famous Chrisie.
She additional emphasised the significance of household as the corporate bought its begin. “The household has at all times been concerned. When Mark first began taking a look at accommodations after dinner at night time, he’d put the children within the automotive, and we’d drive across the native accommodations and depend the vehicles. That’s how he knew how many individuals had been staying the place. He at all times concerned the children in no matter enterprise he was in; he liked getting their enter. … He was really an entrepreneur,” mentioned Chrisie.
Gray, for his half, was simply positive with that.
“Entering into the resort enterprise actually was a really pure match for me; it’s one thing that I like. I like creating that have, however that’s actually one thing that my father formed in a serious approach. We work to proceed that legacy on daily basis and to construct on what he began,” he said.
That buildup has continued, partly, by way of exterior acquisitions and partnerships. Final yr, the corporate added HP Accommodations and basically doubled its portfolio. In 2017, the corporate formally partnered with David Tart—who was beforehand with 417 Companions and is now managing accomplice together with Gray, who referred to that as a “essential milestone.”
Gray additional added of Tart, “He continues to be among the finest builders I’ve ever labored with, and it’s enjoyable to look at him in motion.”
In the meantime, Gray famous the mixing of HP has typically gone nicely and needs to be full in March.
“It’s occurred a lot faster than I assumed it will, and it’s been reasonably seamless. The parents realized their counterparts had been really allies and never opponents. Our integration is continuous, and actually the items that I used to be most involved with occurred pretty easily. We had been actually impressed with how the staff gelled and continues to gel,” he famous.
Gray referenced the newly opened Waynesville Inn & Golf Membership Trademark Assortment by Wyndham, in Waynesville, North Carolina, as an “all palms on deck” renovation venture for the staff.
He elaborated on the tradition of the corporate and why it’s thought of a superb place to work amongst its some 1,400 staff, significantly on the heels of expanded development.
“I believe the largest factor is that they have a seat on the desk. They assist direct this firm. I believe all of our senior management would inform you they’ve a seat on the desk,” he famous.
Gray Raines was clear to level out that whereas the corporate has accelerated its development lately, that’s not essentially the corporate’s sole goal.
“For us, it’s about the fitting companions shifting ahead. We’ve at all times mentioned we’re small however selective. It’s by no means been ‘we’ve bought to double in measurement by this date’ or ‘we’ve bought to be at this variety of accommodations.’ The HP acquisition was a strategic piece of our development. We’re simply going to proceed down the trail and attempt to put good initiatives collectively that make a number of {dollars} alongside the way in which,” he concluded.
