In celebration of its 120th year, The MBA is recognizing leaders of member organizations who have contributed to the Association’s longevity, the regional business community as well as their own operations and industries. Here, MBA Icon of Industry Nick Scott Sr., president and CEO of family owned Scott Enterprises, reflects on his vision and passion for shaping the hospitality business in Northwestern PA and Western New York, and what he’s working on now.
Your career in the hospitality industry spans more than 50 years, and you’ve made a lasting impact on the tri-state region as an icon of industry. What drew you to studying hotel and restaurant management at Cornell University, and what early experiences shaped your career path?
During my youth, I watched my mother and father, Pauline and Christ Scott, setting great examples of parenting that I have never forgotten. They demonstrated the value of the work ethic and perseverance in working tirelessly toward your goals. As an only child and being close to both parents, I watched and admired what they accomplished together as they grew their business efforts and built on their successes. I experienced my father’s entrepreneurial actions as he created one business after the other, a beauty salon, a restaurant, Scott’s Restaurant on Peach Street in downtown Erie, and in 1950 opened the first modern motel concept in the region, Scott’s Motel at 6th and Peninsula Drive. As a teenager, I worked part time in all of our business ventures and learned “from the ground up.”
My father, an immigrant from Greece, was sent by his parents to America at age 13 to find a better life. The way he succeeded was remarkable, and he became a great role model for me. I believe he was a true Icon of Industry and “Renaissance Man.” So, when it came time for my senior year at Strong Vincent High School to choose a career path, the decision was easy. I chose to go to a business college to help my parents grow our family business, hence we chose the best, Cornell University School of Hotel Administration. I have never regretted that decision as I got a great education and met my future wife, Kim, also a student at Cornell and from Rochester, New York. The decision to study business at Cornell led to a happy marriage of 60 years, five children, 19 grandchildren, and six great- grandchildren. I am so thankful!
Today, Scott Enterprises is a pillar of Erie’s hospitality and tourism landscape. What do you believe has been the driving force behind the family owned company’s success?
The driving force has been the strong, ambitious, hardworking personalities of each generation. In the first generation, it was my father. In the second generation, it was me. For the third generation, it is my sons, Chris and Nick Scott Jr. The fourth generation is just entering our workforce.
The Harbor Place development along Erie’s Bayfront is one of your most ambitious projects. How do you envision it continuing to transform the area?
The vision for Harbor Place is to transform it into a vibrant, mixed-use waterfront destination. The first completed phase includes the eight-story Hampton Inn & Suites, Oliver’s Rooftop Restaurant, Oliver’s outdoor Beer Garden. Future additions will include: a second 130-room upscale hotel with a second rooftop restaurant, meeting space and a rooftop sun garden with bar-top space. The development will include: retail space, office space and an outdoor winter ice skating rink/summer games area. Harbor Place will include residential townhouses, apartments, and wellness-focused features attracting year-round and seasonal residents. Finally, two parking garages are planned to accommodate hotel guests and bayfront visitors and tourists. This eight-phase transformational project is a well-planned, forward- thinking vision of what can be Erie’s future waterfront location, where people can live, work and play. Harbor Place will elevate our city on a path to civic greatness and admiration by all future visitors. I am confident that with proper support we can make this iconic project a reality!
With the success of Splash Lagoon, Peek’n Peak Resort and your many hotels and restaurants, and now Harbor Place, you’ve significantly influenced the area’s tourism and economy. What long-term impact do you see these projects having?
I’m very proud of Splash Lagoon because it was developed before indoor water parks became so popular, and it wasn’t a franchise. We had to seek out the answers for ourselves when we developed the concept beyond what was existing at the time. In the 22 years since we opened, we’ve had four expansions and reinvestments. We entertain about 350,000 people annually from Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Cleveland, Rochester and Canada who enjoy year-round family fun. More than 6 million guests have visited since we opened in 2003. Splash Lagoon has recently been ranked the No. 2 Indoor Water Park in the country by a USA Today newspaper poll. We are proud to put Erie on this national list.
On 1,200 acres, Peek’n Peak has been a long-term investment, with many millions of dollars in improvements since we purchased it in 2011. It’s not just a winter sport venue, but it’s also the summer activities like the Tree Top Rope’s course, zip lines and the fabulous Upper golf course that’s one of the best in the tri-state area. I think Splash Lagoon and Peek’n Peak are iconic entertainment resorts for our community and the region. They’ve become favorites where people come to the Peek for traditional holiday brunches, and outdoor and indoor entertainment year-round.
As a visionary leader, what has been your favorite project and why?
It’s hard to answer that because at the time I’m doing each project it is my favorite. We’re working on making each as good as we can and then we move to another project. We’ve had 28 locations and over 2,000 employees as a result of the development we’ve done. I would say that I keep coming back to Splash Lagoon because it’s something we created ourselves, rather than a franchise. We had to make a lot of decisions and invest a lot of money in it and it turned out to be very successful. I am also very excited about our latest project, Harbor Place on Erie’s Bayfront, because it is the largest and potentially most impactful project to the community that we have ever worked on.
What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs or professionals looking to leave their mark in business today?
Work hard, stay focused, think creatively and lead with humor. Surround yourself with great people, give them the tools to succeed, and great things will follow.
What legacy do you hope to leave for the future of Erie and beyond?
I think having a project that is successful and people really like it and talk to you about is a good feeling. At the Beer Garden, people often stop me in the summer and say, “This is the best idea you’ve ever had.” They say this should’ve happened a long time ago, and they feel like they are in some resort area in Florida or the islands, which makes us feel pretty good. Nick Jr. brought forward the original vision of the BG, but like we often do, we put our three heads together along with the rest of our team and created something very special for Erie! One of my favorite projects is Oliver’s Rooftop Restaurant on the top of the Hampton Inn. The view is beautiful. It opens up to the outside. It has a wonderful menu and food, great management and talented staff that share the same kind of passion we do. It also enhances the opportunity for historical tourism to learn about the War of 1812.
As a longtime MBA member, how would you describe the value of membership to your organization?
The Association has been very active in supporting all local businesses primarily manufacturing; however, it also has been supportive of other local businesses in other categories such as hospitality growth. It is good for our business and other local businesses all over the region.
For more information, see visitscott.com.
