West Virginia Executive....

COOLFONT:
FIVE DECADES OF MAKING
THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE

Back in 1961, when Sam Ashelman came to Berkeley Springs for a camping trip with his young son, Randall, he had no idea it would start a family business that’s now in its fifth decade. But what was to become one of West Virginia’s earliest tourism success stories got its start when Sam saw a hand-written ‘For Sale’ sign.

Sam had just finished a hot soak and massage at Berkeley Springs State Park when he saw the little sign advertising 880 acres and a ‘manor house’ just outside town. Sam headed up there with Randall and was captivated by the land and turn-of-the-century home. He immediately made what he thought was a very low offer, only to find it accepted, and his dream of someday establishing a destination resort where people could come for ‘re+creation’ had begun.

“Finding the location and land eventually led to Coolfont and I believe we’ve made many people happy here,” says Sam. “The long history of Berkeley Springs as a health and wellness destination made it an ideal spot for my dream.” That dream developed into a West Virginia tourism success story.

Berkeley Springs Means Business Health

“We have three times as many massage therapists here as we do lawyers,” says Jeanne Mozier, vice president of Travel Berkeley Springs. With a wide variety of spa services available throughout the town at stand-alone spas, as well as up at Coolfont, the success story of Berkeley Springs as a spa town has a long history with a modern twist. From George Washington’s frequent visits to record crowds at the Winter Festival of the Waters, it’s a success story steeped in water, hard work, and creative marketing.

As with many historic spa towns throughout the nation, Berkeley Springs was first a destination of Native Americans. They frequented the area to enjoy the healing mineral- and gas-laden spring water, which flowed at a rate of 1,500 gallons per minute and at a constant temperature of 74.3 degrees Fahrenheit (as it generally does today).

This led to early settlers and surveyors visiting the area in the 1700s and, in 1776, the granting of a charter as the town of Bath (named after the health- and tourism-oriented Bath, England). The town quickly grew in popularity with both visitors and land speculators.

One of Bath’s earliest proponents was George Washington, who surveyed the land early in his career and later visited the town often as a retreat before and after the Revolution. Modern Berkeley Springs has taken full advantage of publicizing that not only did Washington sleep here (a common tourism plug in the region), but that he also enjoyed the famed waters--thus, ‘George Washington Bathed Here.’

The popularity of the water led to the construction of the Roman Bath and the Shower Bath Building in the 1780s. The Gentleman’s Drinking Spring was added in 1815. In the 1920s, the administration building, bandstand, swimming pool, and bathhouse complex were added. Incredibly, all or parts of these structures are still standing and in use!

These facilities continued to be popular throughout the 20th century, operating under mostly public stewardship. However, in 1970, Berkeley Springs State Park was formed to preserve both the buildings and experience of this national spa treasure. In fact, in 1976, Berkeley Springs State Park was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, just 15 years after Sam saw that ‘For Sale’ sign and Coolfont was well on its way.

But a spa town can’t survive on history alone. The 1990s led to a revival of the town of ‘Bath’ as a destination honoring its past and embracing the present and future, with tourism efforts that are anything but all wet. The town’s success can be partly attributed to the success of Coolfont leading the way as a resort destination in earlier decades--people who came to Coolfont inevitably visited Berkeley Springs, while Berkeley Springs visitors often made their way up to Coolfont.

A Business Background

Sam Ashelman certainly had the credentials to pursue his dream just outside the historic spa town. He grew up in Pennsylvania coal country, so saw early in life the devastating effects improper mining and business practices could have. He also developed an interest in economics and agriculture.

After graduating from Swarthmore in 1937 and pursuing several business options, Sam began working as a highly-desired economic consultant. He traveled around the globe with a mantra of “making the world a better place,” where he worked with the Dalai Llama, the Shah of Iran, the president of Zambia, and many foreign ministers and governments. However, he recalls, “The dangers of living and working in unstable countries finally became too great for me.”

Sam returned to the U.S. to successfully lead several new ventures at the Greenbelt Cooperative. This New Deal-era project revolved around a cooperative community located in eastern Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. Sam established several successful co-ops for Greenbelt and went on to help establish an importing business for Danish cooperative furniture--this became highly successful SCAN Furniture, with locations throughout the U.S.

Coolfont’s Evolution

There were several synergies surrounding Sam’s arrival in Berkeley Springs. The house that came with the land turned out to be the former home of writer Herbert Quick, who was a founder of the Farm Home Administration and shared many political and philosophical views with Sam. Equally ironic, the long-touted benefits of Berkeley Springs water awaited Sam, thanks to a cool spring (or ‘font’) near what they still call the Manor House--thus, the name Coolfont. Sam had found a place where health, wellness, and Mother Nature were at the forefront of daily life.

Construction at Coolfont started with Treetop House--a large ‘double’ A-frame building overlooking a new lake. Next, A-frame chalets were nestled in the woods about a 1/4-mile from the main building. Of these, Sam says, “I modeled them on simple Swiss chalets, but they turned out to be too rustic for American tastes. We quickly added amenities like double whirlpool tubs.” Throughout the construction, one of Sam’s many conservation goals was to keep as many trees as possible, preserving the land that attracted him in the first place (over the years, they’ve actually planted more than 75,000 trees).

In 1977, Woodland House Lodge was added. This 24-room facility features patios and balconies overlooking the woods, along with hand-crafted furniture from a local business--Tom Sealy Furniture. Along with construction of Treetop House and various accommodations, family recreation facilities were added over the years, including a campground, stables, many miles of hiking and riding trails, and a range of fitness and ‘spa’ facilities for the health-minded visitors that Berkeley Springs and Coolfont seemed to attract in increasing numbers. In keeping with the theme of ‘Re+Creation,’ Sam established the Coolfont Foundation in 1969 to host cultural events, which has included international music, drama, and dance performances.

Sam’s interest in the east, and especially China, has also led to a friendship with the former Chinese Ambassador to the United States (who is now China’s Foreign Minister), who hosted Sam in Bejing and has helped bring several cultural offerings to Coolfont. Sam has also recently formed a trading company to buy and sell goods with China, ironically including the export of ginseng from West Virginia to China!

As repeat guests returned to Coolfont year after year, they began asking about buying property. Thus, the resort and foundation were joined by the third leg of Sam’s resort business stool--Coolfont Real Estate. After much study, home sites were established on the mountainside. They were arranged in clusters in the woods, with lots of common land and many restrictions and covenants meant to preserve the rusticity of Coolfont (which has grown to about 1,300 acres through land acquisition). They’ve succeeded, with more than 100 homes seemingly hidden in the woods--including three that are heated and cooled completely with solar energy!

Sam’s love of Mother Nature has also included building a solar-heated pool, using a large organic garden to stock Coolfont’s famed salad bar, and developing a sewage system that requires no energy input. “We’re really trying to work for a better world here first, with profits truly secondary,” says Sam.

Additional chalets and cabins were added over the years, while some homes built through Coolfont Real Estate were included in a popular rental pool. In addition, four bedrooms at the Manor House welcome guests, making it easy for virtually any visitor to find appropriate accommodations.

Other ‘additions’ have included: the creation of the ‘spa-tacular meetings’ concept (where spa activities and treatments are an integral part of meetings), popular ‘Wild Women’ and ‘Wellness’ packages; increasing Internet bookings (which now account for more than 50% of the total); and continuing to ‘develop’ Coolfont sensibly with additions like tubing in winter.

Coolfont’s continued growth in the 1980s and 90s was fueled on two fronts: the spa business and the resort’s unique meetings offerings. Both parts of the business model allowed Coolfont to compete with more ‘modern’ resorts in the region, while keeping the faith with Sam’s vision of a better world (at least for past, present, and future Coolfont visitors).

The large spa facility has played a huge role in Coolfont’s reputation as a top health and wellness destination. Like much of the resort, the spa features a mix of eastern and western philosophies.

The long list of offerings now includes: a 60-foot lap swimming pool; cardiovascular and weight training room; men’s and women’s locker rooms; a daily schedule of classes, including yoga, Pilates, and much more; and a full-service salon offering everything from hair care to facials to herbal body wraps.

The ‘spa’ proper offers an incredible range of massage and mind/body wellness services, including: a long list of massages; reflexology; reiki; shiatsu; Breema(r); craniosacral therapy; and Chinese massage and acupuncture through Dr. Lin Wang, who has a very loyal following. Guest lectures, personal training, private meditation instruction, and personal nutritional consulations are also part of the mix, as are healthy ‘spa’ food choices the dining room. The hiring earlier this year of spa manager Lacy Jack has further innovation and growth, as she’s added new programs to draw new and return Coolfont spa lovers.

The second part of the healthy growth leading Coolfont into the 21st century was a concentration on meetings and conferences. Coolfont can comfortably handle groups of 10 to 250 people, offering modern meeting rooms and amenities that are expected of any resort and drawing businesses and governmental groups like Westinghouse, NASA, Westvaco, the National Science Foundation, Friends of the Earth, the Sierra Club, and The Nature Conservancy. In addition, Coolfont is a regional headquarters location for Outward Bound programs.

What groups love about meeting at Coolfont are the ‘unexpected’ bonuses: the natural surroundings (groups often meet outside); the healthy food; the outdoors opportunities for group hikes, team building, and more; and the spa, salon, and fitness facilities (which see heavy use from spouses and during free time).

Free time seems to be a huge part of the success of meetings at Coolfont. Many meetings feature large blocks of free time on their schedules, as meeting planners see the benefits of Coolfont’s ‘re+creation’ philosophy.

This is often accomplished in unique ways. A recent NASA meeting of the Universities Space Research Association featured formal meetings until noon, free time until 5pm, and then additional meetings until 7pm. “Our attendees enjoyed spa and salon appointments, hikes alone and in small groups, horseback riding, swimming, and more,” says project administrator and meeting planner Sandy Barnes. “They loved the unique free time and offerings, making their meeting time even more productive.”

Thus, the unique combination of a Berkeley Springs location, varied accommodations, and great spa and meetings facilities has made Sam’s dream a reality. However, the role of continuing ‘re+creation’ success at Coolfont is being placed in the hands of Sam’s son, Randall.

Passing Coolfont’s Pale of Water

Sam, who turns 90 in February, still lives in his beloved Manor House, socializing with many new and returning guests who are either staying there or attending one of many Coolfont Foundation events held there. He swims virtually every day, averages five massages a week, and often enjoys Chinese massage and acupuncture from Dr. Wang. He’s still quite active and always thinking about the future of Coolfont (and the world). That future (at least Coolfont’s) rests with Randall.

Little did Randall Ashelman know that a 1961 camping trip with his father would lead to his eventually becoming president of a major West Virginia resort. However, after working at Coolfont and elsewhere over the years, he finally returned to the resort for good in 1999 and became president later that year.

Randall first worked at Coolfont as a restaurant manager, when it was basically little more than a hamburger stand. He also helped build some of the early chalets and bulldoze space for the lake, so he definitely knows Coolfont’s dirt. He also has a strong business, real estate, and architecture background, including a long-time passions for solar energy and healthy lifestyles. Randall was also the region’s first citizen to run for governor (in 2000).

This family affair apparently is succeeding, with Sam slowly passing the hefty pale of water to Randall. However, everything can’t go as smoothly as massage oil on tired muscles. “Sam realizes it’s time to cultivate the next generation of leadership, which has its challenges for both of us” Randall says. “For me, this is a great opportunity to grow personally.”

“It’s sometimes difficult to communicate my goals, in that I have such long experience with what works here and what doesn’t--but I’m trying hard to get out of management, emphasizes Sam.” “We’re still working to refine Randall’s responsibilities and it’s going well--though I still have three or four ideas a week,” he smilingly adds.

Randall’s key role has been leading Coolfont to the next level on many fronts, including the spa, meetings, packages, the resort’s website, and the environment. Randall also sees expanding the board beyond the family as very important, along with more than $650,000 invested in upgrading the resort (focusing on meetings and the spa, with additional renovations and accommodations already planned).

“We’ve also cultivated a very good relationship with our bank, Southern Financial” says Randall. “The value of a good partnership with lenders has been one of many key lessons that my father taught me years ago.” Randall also says he’s learned to do it right the first time and to fix what you have before expansion.

Short-term business was definitely hurt by 9/11, but Randall found many individuals and groups were booking closer to home later that year and during 2002’s recession. “Our bookings our now better and more in advance than ever,” he says.

“Conference facilities and our spa are keys to developing mid-week business,” says Randall. “It’s hard to make a business successful on just weekends, even when our occupancy typically runs 95-100%.”

Another family member, Randall’s wife Mara, has also been active in the growth of the resort over the years. Mara worked as spa manager for many years before assuming her current role as director of public relations. Working with both Sam and Randall, Mara is successfully concentrating on getting the Coolfont message out to the world--the ‘re+creation’ that they offer is unique and Mara has found that once someone learns of Coolfont and visits once, they typically return often.

Of course, the Coolfont ‘family’ also includes 85 to 160 employees, which varies seasonably. Many Coolfont team members have been at the resort for decades, thanks to loyalty from the family. The resort is the third largest employer in Morgan County (behind U.S. Silica and Tom Sealy Furniture) and its influence on the economy can be seen throughout the area, as visitors eat in local restaurants, shop in the stores, and spend the tourism dollars that many West Virginia locales are seeking.

Part of ‘passing the water pale’ at Coolfont has led to 46% of the company now being owned by employees. “The priority was to separate family, business, and personal life, which had all been mixed together previously” says Randall. “We also went from five family members composing our board to a total of nine, with only three from the family.”

However, Sam, Randall, and Mara still see the Ashelman family legacy at Coolfont as a huge part of the resort’s continued success. They always take the time to introduce themselves to new visitors or to spend time with returning guests. The lobby, adjoining gift shop, dining room, and little bar are all typically bustling with the Ashelmans, staff members, and guests discussing hikes, massages, health goals, and more.

These informal gatherings are just what Sam envisioned when he first saw the land that would evolve into Coolfont. This little part of the world in West Virginia is certainly a better place, thanks to that vision.

About the Author

Lynn Seldon has been a full-time freelance writer and photographer since the mid-1980s. He often covers West Virginia topics, with his work appearing in national publications like USA Today, Smithsonian, Travel & Leisure, Southern Living, and hundreds more. He has also written a dozen books, including Country Roads of West Virginia.