Press Release
September 14, 2001
ORLANDO, FL -- With more than 30 years of combined performance in the timeshare and fractional ownership arenas,
two of the industry's marketing and sales leaders - Bill McLaughlin and Joel Lazar, RRP - have joined forces to
deliver a comprehensive lineup of programs, services and resources to new and veteran resort developers.
The McLaughlin Lazar Group Inc., headquartered in Orlando, provides full-service sales and marketing capabilities.
Additionally, the company has created a partnership network with some of the industry's leading organizations to
provide a "one-stop solutions center" that includes disciplines such as sales, marketing, legal, engineering,
architecture, design, financing and other essential areas of expertise. This integrated, multidisciplinary network
delivers to developers a unique services synergy that has not been available to the industry until now.
McLaughlin, chairman and CEO of the new company, has more than 16 years of timeshare industry experience, including
13 years with Vistana Resorts and Starwood Vacation Ownership, where he served as a president and co-CEO. Lazar,
president and COO of The McLaughlin Lazar Group, has spent more than 15 years in both the timeshare and fractional
areas of the resort business. He has held senior management positions with The Owners Club, Intrawest Resort Ownership
Corp., Cimarron Golf Resort and Hilton Grand Vacations Co.
Lazar says the firm, which opened its doors in August, already has received dozens of inquiries from existing timeshare,
fractional, mixed-use and golf resort developers. In addition, landowners and nonindustry developers who are interested
in vacation ownership have found their way to The McLaughlin Lazar Group. "There's definitely a pent-up demand
for what we have to offer," Lazar concludes. "The network is a win-win approach because it allows us
to be more fluid and responsive to the overall needs of each new client."
McLaughlin says the network is a huge drawing card for developers. "When we tell potential clients The McLaughlin
Lazar Group can assemble the complete team from feasibility to completion - including lending, legal, architecture,
construction, sales, marketing, software and management - they immediately see the value our company can offer
in terms of saving time, money and energy."
McLaughlin contends that some potential resort developers turn away from the industry because they simply "get
bogged down in the complexity of the moving parts of this multidimensional business."
"Our services can be as large or as small, as basic or as complex, as our clients require," McLaughlin
explains. "They will always be customized to fit real needs and identify appropriate, client-specific solutions.
When we complete a pro forma for a client, we are prepared to accept the responsibility to successfully execute
it, which is another factor that distinguishes us from other firms."
The McLaughlin Lazar Group's principals have directed numerous resort projects both domestically and internationally.
McLaughlin and Lazar have worked with branded companies such as Embassy Hotels, PGA Tour, The PGA of America and
Marriott Vacation Club International in addition to independent resort developers. Lazar serves on the ARDA Board
of Directors and as chairman of the ARDA Membership Development Committee. McLaughlin serves on the ARDA Sales
and Marketing Committee.
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