Page 21 - BusinessWest January 6, 2025

The Ride Stuff
Six Flags New England Provides Experiences for Guests, Employees
BY GEORGE O’BRIEN
[email protected]
“We have
dozens, probably hundreds, of leadership opportunities, between teen leads and supervisors and coordinators
that are asked
to step up, lead our teams, and enhance the guest experience. It’s a great development opportunity for the individual.”
While the park’s gates are officially closed this time of year, this is actually considered busy season at Six Flags New England.
It’s just a different kind of busy, said Peter Carmi- chael, president of the amusement park in Agawam, adding that this is the season for getting the various rides and attractions ready for the official busy sea- son, which starts in early April, around school-break time, and kicks into a higher gear on Memorial Day.
“Every year, we inspect and refresh the entire park,” he explained. “This is when we do all of our annual maintenance and checkups on all our rides and attractions to make sure they’re ready to go in the spring.”
And this offseason, during which the venue for- merly known Riverside Park will mark 25 years as part of the Six Flags brand, things are even busier than what would be considered usual, with the park now in the final stages of work on its first new roller coaster in nearly a decade.
It’s called Quantum Accelerator, billed as ‘New
England’s first straddle coaster,’ whereby, as that
name suggests, riders sit on top of the seat, rather
than inside, providing a different sensation and increased thrill, Car- michael said.
The ride, which features two launches and speeds up to 45 mph, will officially launch in late spring, he said, adding that, after
Peter Carmichael says Six Flags is more than an major employer — it’s a source of all-important first jobs as well as leadership opportunities for young people.
We’re here for
local business.
Ask us about:
• Commercial/Business Loans & Lines of Credit
• Business Deposit Accounts & Services
• Flexible Cash Management Solutions
• Robust eBusiness Solutions Business Online Banking • Business VISA® Debit & Credit Cards
• Industry-Leading Merchant Services
Unlock your potential
bankESB.com | 855.527.4111
Member FDIC | Member DIF | NMLS #: 405477
BusinessWest
<< FEATURE >>
JANUARY 6, 2025 21