Des Hague, the recently appointed chief executive of Centerplate, the contract foodservice provider specializing in sports and convention center locations, discussed the future of the company. The Stamford, Conn.-based firm was acquired last year for around $200 million by private-equity firm Kohlberg & Co. LLC. Centerplate, which has experienced financial difficulties in recent years, is now ready for a turnaround, Hague says.
DES HAGUE Education: business degree from the American College in LondonAge: 41Hometown: Belfast, IrelandHobbies: sports, reading, travel, spending time with the family and anything educationalPersonal: married, two children, two cats, a dog and goldfish
What brought you to Centerplate in the first place?
I was part of the Kohlberg organization for several years. Centerplate was highly regarded and, as we did due diligence, saw an underlying diamond in the rough. It became very compelling; we saw we could do great things. It needed some help in marketing, branding, executing skills and innovation, and I thought my past experience would serve really well. I saw nothing but upside for myself, the company and our shareholders.
What is your vision for Centerplate?
I think about it as a comeback kid. It lost a bit of its verve in the last few years with the financial situation it found itself in. We have to get that verve, the mojo back, if you like. We are really going to be No. 1 in hospitality. There are multiple layers to how we’re going to do it. It’s a very nebulous goal to be No. 1 in hospitality. If you think about it, over the last 100 years on-site has changed significantly. The overarching, looser goal is to always want to be No. 1, but you must be able to bring innovation and freshness to the forefront. We have to have the right people provide the right service to drive sales and profitability. We need “Wow!” execution; there can be no compromise. We must have the best retention and hiring programs in place, train our way to greatness. We truly need to be a “B-to-B-to-C” [business-to-business-to-customer] company and obsess about that 24/7.
Why do you think the company had so many issues prior to your arrival?
I really believe we didn’t position ourselves effectively. With the skill set of our organization over the years, we’ve had unbelievable talent. We didn’t have the right marketing strategy and clearly were not able to codify the culinary prowess and replicate it systemwide. What we needed were a few creators and many implementers.
How do you decide which contracts to renew or go after?
We’re renewing contracts where it makes sense financially. We don’t want our organization to work pro bono; we don’t need the practice. We’re not chasing business. Being No. 1 in hospitality doesn’t mean you have to be the biggest. It’s about providing the best services, not just about scale.
Where do you see Centerplate five years from now?
We’d better be No. 1 in hospitality, or else I’ve failed in the vision. The fact is we’re the No. 2 player in sports in the world after Aramark. We will continue to win and make inroads into that channel so we can become even more dominant. We’re also the No. 2 player in convention centers. We see continued growth in the attractions business and in collegiate sports. We’ll accelerate on a couple of peripheral channels, such as institutional feeding and college feeding.
