Lake resort too busy to expand

By Jim Obert

Business Today

GREENVILLE -- The owner of Holliday Landing, a resort/marina/campground south of Greenville where Route F meets the west-end water of Lake Wappapello, says he could expand his operation, but he doesn't have time.

"We could build 10 to 15 more cabins, and we'd fill them if we built them, but we have all the business we need right now," said Joe Blattel, a native of Chaffee who bought the business in 1986.

According to figures provided by the Corps of Engineers, the resort had 33,700 visitors last year.

Blattel said the resort was built in about 1955, and he's the third owner.

When he bought the resort, there were six cabins, a campground and a small marina. Since becoming owner, Blattel has renovated the cabins to include satellite TV, built nine permanent campsites, reworked the campground, put in 50-amp electrical service and water, built a shower house, and rebuilt the marina and pontoon dock.

Blattel says Holliday Landing, which covers about 18 acres, is open year-round.

"We keep bait all year and we're one of the few businesses on the lake that does that," said Blattel, adding that hunters as well as fishermen are frequent visitors. The resort borders nearly 50,000 acres of public land that can be hunted for turkey, deer, squirrel and duck.

Located about 14 miles from the Lake Wappapello damn and about nine miles from Greenville, the resort overlooks a channel of the lake that runs as deep as 40 feet.

The marina, which is equipped with 24-hour security cameras, has 44 covered stalls and 38 pontoon stalls. Blattel says about 80 percent of his customers keep boats there year-round, and 95 percent of cabin renters bring a boat. Jonboats, motors and pontoons are available for rent.

Although many off his customers are from Southeast Missouri, others come from states such as Kentucky, Indiana, Mississippi, Illinois and California. Canadians have visited as well as a resident of Saudi Arabia.

"Two guys from Sweden once stayed here," said Blattel, starting the golf cart he uses to putter around his resort. "They were driving around, saw our sign on Highway 67 and stayed three or four days."

Holliday Landing is handicap accessible and the general store there is well-stocked.

"We've got all the stuff people forget to bring," Blattel said. "Everything from charcoal to lunch meat. I make and bag my own ice in 8-pound sacks, and we sell gas."

The resort also has Pete, a 13-year-old black Lab that has earned a certain amount of fame.

"When he was a pup we wouldn't see him from Friday evening to Sunday evening," said Blattel, pointing to the dog sleeping behind a counter in the general store. "He'd go mooching from one campsite to another, and people played fetch with him.

"A lot of people would call us and ask if this was the place that had a dog named Pete. When we said it was they'd want to know how to get here."

Blattel says the Missouri Bowhunters Association has a fishing competition at the resort every May. Bow-fishermen shoot gar, buffalo, carp and drum.

Although he's not planning on building more cabins, Blattel is working with a local health board and the Corps to put in sewer hook-ups at the campground. The nine permanent camp sites, which are shaded by sycamores, already have that amenity.