The Need

The Albright and Mather training centers are the signature training facilities for the National Park Service and its employees. In 2006, overall federal and NPS budget concerns prompted the NPS to look at alternative funding opportunities for these two training centers.

The Solution

The Eppley Institute completed a business feasibility study to determine if these facilities could become self-sufficient. The study involved several components including:

• Market research
• Benchmarking with comparable facilities
• Analysis of NPS training events
• Financial analysis of each facility
• Producing a five-year pro-forma

The Result

The findings from this study are being used to promote preferred directions to the NPS National Leadership Council. The findings indicate that both training centers have the ability to be self-sufficient, and even operate at a surplus, which could be used for maintenance and capital improvements.