Martinsville Bulletin, Inc.
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204 Broad Street
Martinsville, Virginia 24115
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City seeks partner for operation of Mustangs
Bids solicited from public, private entities
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Martinsville is seeking proposals from qualified public or private entities that have an interest in partnering with the city regarding operations of the Martinsville Mustangs baseball team for the 2013 season and possibly beyond.
Proposals may include part or all of the operations related to the team, including but not limited to equipment and facilities management; soliciting and securing advertising support and team promotion; managing logistics associated with team schedules and related travel; concession/souvenir operations; assistance with player recruitment; and management functions typically handled by a team general manager.
According to Interim City Manager Leon Towarnicki, as the city ends this baseball season and prepares for 2013, it’s a “good time to look at management options” and look at how the city can do things differently or better, he said.
This is an “opportunity to explore other ways to operate the team that may be better for the city,” Towarnicki said.
The city is accepting proposals that could possibly benefit them financially and time-wise. Currently, the team is operated by Mustangs general manager Dean Hennis, but the operations of the team are simply too difficult for one person, Towarnicki said.
During this time of the year, the team can be operated by one person, but once spring comes and the startup of the season is close, there are a lot of things that must be done such as handling player contracts, sales and advertising as well as ordering tickets, equipment and uniforms, which is a lot for one person to handle, he added.
By “pulling in some outside help,” it could help the city financially and operationally and could “create a better organization,” Towarnicki said.
The city accepted proposals a few years ago, which included ideas from public and private entities such as having a one-person operation with the individual doing work outside of the Martinsville area and having a three-person operation that formed a management team and assumed operations (one person for day-to-day operations; one person to handle sales, marketing and advertising; and a third person to oversee the entire operation), according to Towarnicki.
“I would envision something similar” to the three-person operation option, which is the type of proposal that the city is looking for, he added.
Once the city chooses a proposal, the city would essentially partner with an entity that would operate the Martinsville Mustangs team, and the city would contribute financially, Towarnicki said.
The city would contribute a set amount that would be negotiated in exchange for the entity assuming operations of the organization, which would put in place whatever resources it felt necessary to improve sales and marketing, he said. He added that the organization could decide to contribute financially as well.
The city is asking that the proposals include details of any such arrangements being proposed; experience and qualifications of key individuals who might be involved in the process; references regarding similar projects; details of financial arrangements; and any other relevant information.
Sealed proposals will be accepted until Oct. 5. After Oct. 5, the proposals will be reviewed, and a conclusion will be made on which direction the Mustangs is headed. Once a contract is in, it will be reviewed with city council, which will make the final decision, Towarnicki said.
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