Daniel Berg new food and beverage manager responsible for the dining experience at High Chaparral

Daniel Berg has taken up the position as food and beverage manager at the Småland theme park High Chaparral. Daniel Berg comes most recently from a position as district manager at KFC and has previously had a long career with several leadership positions in food and beverage and retail operations. Daniel Berg will join the company's management team and year-round staff.

The dining experience is a central part of the visit to High Chaparral. Over the past year, the Wild West park has therefore developed its offer to meet the diversity of guests' wishes, expectations and requirements. Under Daniel Berg's leadership, the park's restaurant and kitchen managers, together with around 150 summer employees, will run High Chaparral's 16 eateries, cafés and kiosks.

Daniel Berg started his career in food and beverage at McDonald's, a journey that lasted eleven years, eight of which as a restaurant manager. Through assignments as deputy department store manager at Biltema, department store manager at Dollarstore and Elgiganten, and as CFO at IKEA, Daniel Berg returned to the food and beverage industry in 2021 as district manager for KFC.

- "We are very pleased to welcome Daniel Berg to High Chaparral. With a broad and solid background as a leader in food and beverage, Daniel Berg is the right person to lead the work of developing our food offering and the experience we want to give our guests, says Mathias Bergendahl, CEO.

High Chaparral has a number of restaurants with different specialties, from lunch and à la carte at Diligensen to burgers at Old Dave's Hamburgers, and from nachos and tacos at Restaurante Cantina in Old Mexico to pancakes at Mamma Dalton's Pangkakshus. There are also a number of cafés and kiosks offering waffles, ice cream and churros.

- "I am very impressed with High Chaparral's clear commitment to the dining experience and am really looking forward to working with as many distinctly niche restaurants and eateries as we have here in the park. Right now, the recruitment of summer employees is in full swing, a hugely exciting time to join High Chaparral, and I really can't wait to get started on all the eateries," says Daniel Berg.

Daniel Berg joins High Chaparral's management team, which already includes Mathias Bergendahl, CEO, Mattias Tambour, Deputy CEO, Fredrik Jonsson, HR Manager, Maja Welandson, Guest Services, Accommodation and Store Manager, Hanna Forthmeiier, Marketing Manager, and Magnus Larsson, Purchasing Manager. Claudia Bartelsson joins as Parks and Property Manager on March 1.

Claudia Bartelsson hired as new Park and Property Manager at High Chaparral

The Småland theme park High Chaparral has hired Claudia Bartelsson as the new Park and Property Manager. Claudia Bartelsson comes from the municipality of Gislaved, where she worked as a development manager in community planning and before that as a plan architect.

Claudia Bartelsson is an architect by training, and she worked in her home country of Chile before deciding to continue her education in Europe. She came to Sweden in 1994 to pursue a master's degree in Germany, and then completed another master's degree in Sweden before settling in Smålandsstenar and starting work in Gislaved.

- I see High Chaparral as a community of its own where all the elements of the park come together to create the world's best Wild West for families with children and a stimulating workplace for our employees. I am really looking forward to being part of developing the future of High Chaparral," says Claudia Bartelsson.

Earlier this year, High Chaparral hired Jora Vision in the Netherlands to develop a so-called pre-master plan, which aims to investigate the theme park's market potential in the coming years and, linked to that, how the park needs to be developed. The completed pre-master plan will form the basis for the park's future physical design and development of theater activities and other experiences.

- We are preparing for our future development, which includes the development of a detailed plan in collaboration with Gnosjö municipality. We are very pleased that Claudia Bartelsson will soon be joining us at High Chaparral. She is a very competent leader with many years of experience in overall area planning, architecture and procurement, which is exactly what we need for our further development, says Mathias Bergendahl, High Chaparral's CEO.

Claudia Bartelssons will take up the position of Parks and Property Manager on March 1, 2023 and will then become part of the High Chaparral management team.

High Chaparral closes High Chaparral Citizens

The Board of Directors of High Chaparral Sweden AB has today decided to close down High Chaparral Citizens, an interest group with no formal association or club structure and with mainly adult participants.

The decision is primarily based on the company's continued development into a pure theme park aimed at the target group of families with children. The decision is also based on the results of the survey sent out in September. The results of the survey show that the company does not meet the demands of High Chaparral Citizens and that the desired future development cannot be met within the framework of High Chaparral's strategic direction.

Towards a theme park for families with children

In 1994, High Chaparral created High Chaparral brand platform with the vision of becoming the world's best Wild West. The park had previously attracted visitors to the theme park and the then nearby amusement park, as well as to a number of major events such as Western Weekend, which included High Chaparral Show and various car and motorcycle rallies. The brand platform developed in 1994 included a clearer focus on the target group of families with children.

Over the past ten years, several changes in line with the brand platform have been implemented, including the removal of the former funfair, the closure of a nightclub and the decision by High Chaparral to stop selling alcoholic beverages above 3.5% by volume inside the park.

In 2021, the vision was clarified to "The world's best Wild West for families with children," and in line with this reinforced vision, High Chaparral is High Chaparral ending the association historically known as the Western Club and, since 1992, High Chaparral , commonly referred to as Citizens.

Ten years after the brand platform aimed at attracting families with children was created, High Chaparral is now 92% visited by families, with the majority of children aged between six and nine.

The winding up of High Chaparral is therefore in line with the work that was started.

Board of Directors, High Chaparral Sweden AB

Maja Welandson joins the High Chaparral management team

High Chaparral's Maja Welandson has been promoted to Store, Accommodation and Guest Services Manager, taking her place in the company's management team. Earlier this year, Maja Welandson was named one of the 20 young leading women of the year in Jönköping County by Science Park Jönköping and the Jönköping County Chamber of Commerce.

Maja Welandson started as a café assistant in 1990. After the summer season in 1994, she transitioned to an indoor sales position and then, in 2019, to conference manager. Since 2020, Maja Welandson has been Guest Services and Accommodation Manager for the theme park, and in connection with her promotion, she will also take on responsibility for the retail operations.

- "Working at High Chaparral was a dream I had from an early age. I am really very happy and proud to now be part of the company's management and thus get the chance to contribute to the development of our future business, says Maja Welandson.

- Through her positive, clear, inspiring and empathetic leadership, Maja Welandson has created a stimulating and pleasant working environment for her employees. This work has resulted in high customer satisfaction figures and increased revenue in the areas she has been responsible for. Maja Welandson is a true leader and I look forward to following her continued work in a management position," says Mathias Bergendahl, CEO.

High Chaparral's management team includes Mathias Bergendahl, CEO, Mattias Tambour, Deputy CEO, Fredrik Jonsson, HR Manager, Malevil Ljunggren, Group Finance Manager, Hanna Forthmeiier, Marketing Manager, Wisam Salim, Food & Beverage Manager, Maja Welandson, Store, Accommodation and Guest Services Manager and Staffan Svensson, Theater Manager. On September 1, Magnus Larsson, Purchasing Manager, will also join the team.

Magnus Larsson new Purchasing Manager at High Chaparral

On September 1, Magnus Larsson will take up the position of purchasing manager for the Småland theme park High Chaparral. Magnus Larsson has many years of experience as a purchasing manager at Stena Line and Menigo Foodservice, among others, and has recently been a hired purchasing consultant at High Chaparral.

- As a purchasing consultant, Magnus has brought a new and modern approach to purchasing, warehousing and logistics. Magnus has taken on our complex business in a fantastic way and I look forward to following his work in his new role as purchasing manager towards the goals of creating increased efficiency and profitability, says Mathias Bergendahl, CEO.

In addition to his new position as Purchasing Manager, Magnus Larsson will also take a seat on the company's management team.

- "I am extremely happy and proud to be part of the High Chaparral management and team. High Chaparral is like no other company, with a broad purchasing mission from horses and machines, to toys, food and candy, says Magnus Larsson.

High Chaparral launches pilot project: Ambition to run fossil-free steam locomotives by 2023

In connection with Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson's visit to the Wild West park High Chaparral on Tuesday, the Småland theme park told about the company's ongoing pilot project with the ambition to run steam locomotives fossil-free as early as summer 2023.

For many of High Chaparral's guests, a trip on a steam locomotive is a must-do during their visit to the theme park. Each year, 130,000 guests are transported through the park by steam locomotives powered by a total of 40 tons of coal.

The idea of creating a more environmentally friendly alternative has been around for the past few years, and with coal becoming increasingly scarce, at quadruple the price, the idea of powering the locomotives with a more environmentally friendly alternative was raised over the summer.

High Chaparral recently started a pilot project where the company is now testing steam locomotives that run on briquettes made from pressed wood chips, a by-product of timber production, instead of coal.

A project that so far looks very promising, and with the same authentic experience.

- We are very pleased with the results so far and have every reason to believe that we will reach the goal of running fossil-free next year. During the first tests, the steam locomotive has been chugging around the park with the same speed and strength as with coal, and the next big test will be with wagons filled with guests. The project is truly an example of how green transition can be both better for the environment and better for the bank account," says Mathias Bergendahl, CEO.

Film on steam locomotives powered by wood shavings