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 Home Page Richmond to lose... History of Rafting Economic Contributions |
Richmond no longer has a Whitewater Rafting Concession For the first time in 18 years Richmond is without a commercial whitewater rafting concession. Richmond Raft Company did not find the contract offered by the City of Richmond Department of Parks Recreation and Community Facilities adequate to support a professional operation. The previous contract expired in November 2006 and was not renewed by the City. When declining the contract the City offered in October, Owner Buzz Kraft informed the City, "The terms offered will not allow Richmond Raft Company to operate in a reliable, professional, profitable, and reasonable manner to represent the City of Richmond, the activities offered in Richmond, and/or Richmond Raft itself". Efforts by Richmond Raft Company owner Buzz Kraft to persuade the city to open negotiations were unsuccessful. To date, no one from the City has been willing to discuss or to negotiate the terms and conditions the City is currently seeking. The company, with its aquamarine buses and unique offering of an urban-based outdoor adventure, will be sorely missed by residents, visitors, businesses and many others. Over the years, Richmond Raft Company (RRC) contributions to the greater Richmond area have included economic, civic and environmental, and community support & James River Park improvements setting the tone for a hip, outdoor lifestyle in downtown. RRC worked with numerous organizations, including Virginia Tourism Corporation, the Metropolitan Richmond Convention and Visitor Bureau, the Greater Richmond Tourism Association, the Richmond Motorcoach Network, and many others, to promote Richmond as a destination for tourism. The photograph of a raft shooting a Class IV rapid with downtown in the background was staged by RRC but made available for tourism. That image has been reproduced more than a million times across the country and around the world, and came to represent a lifestyle that attracted active, outdoor enthusiasts to play, live, and invest in the city. Approximately 100,000 people have visited downtown Richmond specifically for whitewater rafting with RRC, bringing more than a million dollars annually to the city’s economy through hotels, restaurants, other attractions and related-spending. RRC adopted a section of the James River through the state’s Adopt-A-Stream program and regularly picked up trash and cleared debris during the more than 100 days on the river each year. Operating a rafting company has many challenges, given that it is a seasonal business dependant on weather and changing river levels. In the past 18 years, when the City of Richmond nationally promoted their request for proposal for rafting concessions, Richmond Raft Company was the only business to respond. Richmond Raft Company has withstood drought, hurricanes, and river flooding, but has not been able to withstand the challenges of trying to work with the City of Richmond. But the owner Richmond Raft Company notes that the company's success over the years has been achieved by the professional, skillful and dedicated work of RRC’s 60 employees who have lost their employment as a result of the business closing, to the many partners in their industry, and last but certainly not forgotten, to their many past customers. Thank you all!Richmond
Raft Co. This page is Copyright & copy; 1999 - 2007, Richmond Raft Co.
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