Parks! America (OTCMKTS:PRKA) President Geoff Gannon said the company’s second-quarter fiscal 2026 results reflected strong early-quarter performance that weakened sharply in March as macroeconomic pressures weighed on its customer base.
On the company’s earnings call, Gannon said year-over-year sales gains in the quarter ended in March were “really achieved January and February,” while “essentially none of them were achieved in March.” He noted that March is a much larger month for the company than January or February and marks the start of Parks! America’s peak season.
“The increase that we’ve seen in gas prices … adds up each month to about what it costs to go to our park,” Gannon said. “I have no idea how long that change will persist.”
Marketing shifts and park-level initiatives
Gannon said Parks! America has centralized marketing at the corporate level, with internal marketing employees reporting to him. Marketing costs are allocated directly to each park segment, he said.
The company plans to add two part-time roles, likely titled social media coordinators, at two of its three parks. Gannon said the positions are intended to help corporate marketing employees gather content and execute on-the-ground needs. A similar role is not planned for the Missouri park because one corporate marketing employee is local to that park and previously worked there.
Gannon said he expects the hiring process to begin in about two weeks, with the roles filled by mid- to late June. He emphasized that the additions are smaller support roles, not marketing director positions.
Asked about the drivers behind quarterly revenue growth across locations, Gannon said the company had cut paid online advertising in January and February, and in some cases around Christmas, while seeing improvement in organic marketing efforts such as social media. He also cited stronger local goodwill, better park offerings, animal encounters and annual pass sales as contributors during weaker seasonal months.
Gannon said paid online advertising, including platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, remains an area where improvement is needed. He described online ads as a significant part of the company’s advertising mix but said they have produced poor returns on ad spend for years.
Inflation, insurance and reinvestment plans
Gannon said inflationary pressure has moderated in wages, though Missouri remains a notable exception because its minimum wage is close to the company’s maximum starting wage at that park given productivity levels. He said the other two parks do not face the same issue because their state minimum wages are lower and the parks pay well above those levels.
Physical costs such as animal food have not risen significantly this fiscal year, Gannon said, estimating increases of roughly 1.5% to 2% on higher attendance. Gift shop inventory has faced tariff-related surcharges, while hay and similar costs follow their own cycles, he said.
Insurance renewals are approaching within the next three months. Gannon said he expects insurance costs could rise about 5% unless the company makes meaningful changes to its insurance program, with liability coverage driving the potential increase.
On reinvestment, Gannon said Parks! America is planning an investment in digital signage across its parks. He said the project could total as much as $500,000 across all three parks and could be spread over fiscal 2026 and fiscal 2027, or occur entirely in fiscal 2027.
Gannon said the signage would be marketing-driven, allowing corporate staff to centrally control video, promotions and other messaging, while reducing the burden on park-level employees.
Debt, buybacks and acquisition strategy
Gannon said the company has no plans to accelerate debt repayment beyond contractual requirements. He said Parks! America has “virtually” no net debt because its cash balance is roughly equal to its debt, and he characterized gross debt levels as modest compared with land value and EBITDA.
Regarding share repurchases, Gannon said activity has been limited by logistics, particularly because many shareholders hold physical certificates. He said the process of transferring shares can be complicated by missing certificates, medallion signature guarantees and other administrative steps.
The company is exploring ways to improve liquidity and make share repurchases easier over time, including possible dematerialization, or moving shareholders from physical certificates to non-physical share ownership. Gannon said there was nothing to announce on that front.
Asked whether the board is evaluating a tender offer or similar capital return strategy, Gannon declined to discuss any specific potential offer, saying such information would be disclosed through SEC filings if pursued. More broadly, he said the company is interested in improving its ability to repurchase stock at scale, but described it as a longer-term process with multiple steps.
Gannon said acquisitions remain an area of interest, particularly animal parks similar to the company’s existing operations. He said wild animal safari parks could be attractive because purchase multiples are often reasonable, land may support financing and Parks! America could apply its marketing, financial reporting and operating systems after acquisition.
However, he said cash on hand is the key constraint. Sellers in the industry are often founders or owner-operators who prefer cash rather than stock or long seller notes, he said. Gannon said the company has reviewed potential deals over the past year but could remain active in looking for acquisitions for years without completing one.
In evaluating buybacks versus acquisitions, Gannon said management compares the economics of buying more of its existing parks through stock repurchases with buying a new park. He said the company focuses on park-level EBITDA and expected future EBITDA, including changes Parks! America could implement after acquiring a park.
CEO role and corporate focus
Gannon also addressed his move into a full-time chief executive role. He said the change was not driven by a major shift in workload, but by personal family matters that led him to ask the board to decide whether the role should remain interim and unpaid or become permanent.
Gannon said his work is concentrated more in marketing and finance than in day-to-day park operations, which he described as largely self-sufficient. He said the highest amount of time he spends in meetings is related to marketing.
The company did not provide additional closing remarks at the end of the call.
About Parks! America (OTCMKTS:PRKA)
Parks! America, Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in acquiring, developing, and operating local and regional theme parks and attractions in the United States. The company owns and operates three Wild Animal Safari theme parks located in Pine Mountain, Georgia; Strafford, Missouri; and Bryan/College Station, Texas. The company was formerly known as Great American Family Parks, Inc and changed its name to Parks! America, Inc in June 2008. Parks! America, Inc is based in Pine Mountain, Georgia.
