By Stephanie Springer - bio | email
ALBANY, GA (WALB) - The Flint RiverQuarium and Thronateeska heritage center announced they'll consolidate three areas of business in a few months.
Last year, 7,000 kids came to Thronateeska Heritage Center on field trips. Just a couple blocks away is another popular field trip spot, the Flint Riverquarium. Officials think teaming up will help bring even more visitors to these two sites.
"The similarities are just amazing, the more we charted it out and looked at it the more we realized it made a lot of sense," said Emily McAfee, Chairman of the Flint Riverquarium
Today, the two organizations announced they'll team up in three areas, one of those being in education.
"School groups when they show up they can hit both organizations for an educational field trip where as before they would have to schedule it with both organizations," said Ron Simpson, President of the Thronateeska Heritage Foundation.
"Schools only have a little bit of time," said Simpson. "They can be away from the building now they can efficiently book between the two places, they can get their schedule set."
The partnership will also help them handle their money.
"If gets things cheaper if you buy in volume so everything so both organizations can make combined purchases that way," said McAfee.
"They are contracting out their payroll services that kind of finances can just be folded into the finance department at Thronateeska save them that money," said McAfee.
No jobs will be cut, and salaries will not be affected. In fact, the partnership is designed to increase the services employees can provide to the public.
"There is a limited small crew at the Riverquarium that does most of the maintenance we basically right now at Thronateeska have one maintenance man so if something happens all these people can work in unison."
Officials say the main goal of this partnership is to work more efficiently while bringing the community a better product in the end.
Now the public won't notice too many differences. They will start to see more joint activities between the attractions. In fact they have one coming up in just a few weeks for Halloween.
The partnership will formally begin January 1st.
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