DIRECTORS Laurence and Christine Smith have celebrated 20 years at the helm at Drusillas Park.

The family-owned business has gone from strength to strength since the Smiths took over in 1997 and it is now thought of as one of the best small zoos in Europe.

Managing director Laurence Smith said: “When we first acquired Drusillas, having previously run a large recruitment group, we did so on the basis that we needed to identify and recruit some key people to form a strong management team.

“Fortunately that worked and the success we have enjoyed over the last 20 years is very much a team effort.

“Running a large recruitment group and a zoo are very different businesses but the key to success is exactly the same – recruit and retain excellent people – it is actually that simple.”

Last year proved very successful for Drusilla, with visitor numbers reaching in excess of 400,000.

Following a busy Easter period this year and with the recent launch of their brand new attraction Go Safari!, the Smiths seem more than on track to achieve their targets for 2017.

Mr Smith said: “We are delighted with the progress we are making each year.

“Research last year confirmed that 97 per cent of our visitors would recommend Drusillas to a friend and 90 per cent of visitors said we offered excellent or great value for money.

“We are very pleased with our TripAdvisor ratings as well with 90 per cent of people rating us as excellent or very good.

“Similarly, our average ranking on Facebook is 4.4 out 5 stars, which is excellent feedback.”

Mrs Smith said: “We believe there are three main factors that contribute to Drusillas success.

“Extensive market research allows us to remain aware of our customer needs and allows us to respond accordingly.

“Investment to improve facilities and add new attractions helps retain customer satisfaction and finally, we are extremely lucky to have a loyal and dedicated workforce, without whom we could not possibly achieve such success.”

This year Laurence and Christine made their biggest ever investment with Go Safari!

The three-ride attraction launched on Sunday May 21 and represents a million pound investment for the zoo.

With a five-year strategic plan in place, they are striving to make each year better than the last. They are celebrating at the Ritz.