ERIN EDGEMON, Business Editor
Posted: Sunday, August 10, 2008 7:35 am

Cindee Patrick is the cheerleader. Patty Beazley is the educator.

Together, they make the impossible possible.

All you need are the right tools and equipment, they say. That’s why Patrick and Beazley named their amusement park training and consulting company, When Pigs Fly.

Well, that and the name just seemed to fit their personalities and sounded good when rolled off their Southern tongues.

Patrick and Beazley formed When Pigs Fly in 2002 after Patrick was called in to create a kickoff orientation for 300 inner city kids who were hired to work as seasonal help at Libertyland theme park in Memphis. Patrick called in Beazley, a friend and colleague, to help.

The pair, who has nearly 40 years of combined experience in the amusement park industry, was so excited about what they had accomplished that they decided to go into business together.

“I think it is a privilege to work in this industry,” Patrick said. “Where else can you go to work and have so much fun?”

The multi-faceted consulting company is focused on employee training. Patrick and Beazley offer fun-filled, themed-educational training classes on theme park safety, leadership and customer service.

When Pigs Fly is heavily involved in such industry organizations as the International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions, ASTM International, the Amusement Park Industry Manufacturer and Suppliers Association and the Outdoor Business Association.

Patrick, who is always upbeat, said she loves working with today’s young workforce. She draws on her cheerleading background to inspire them into action.

“We are helping people find their best,” she said.

Patrick said the best part of her job is seeing the impact the leadership training has over time on young workers.

When Pigs Fly also develops and writes employee and safety manuals, conducts mystery shopper audits and safety and guest service inspections and general consultations.

The company provides ride operator trainer certification classes.

Patrick, who has lived in Murfreesboro for eight years, started working at Six Flags Over Texas as a teenager. Later, she worked in management at Opryland USA, Fiesta Texas in San Antonio and MGM Grand Adventures in Las Vegas.

With the nature of her business, Patrick said she could live anywhere in the country but she settled in Murfreesboro for its affordable housing and central location.

“I have always loved Murfreesboro,” she said.

As a child, her family would often visit Middle Tennessee on summer vacations, hitting tourist spots in Nashville and Uncle Dave Macon Days in Murfreesboro.

Beazley, a Nashville native, worked at Opryland USA for 21 years and was director of operations when it closed in 1997. She went on to become general manager of Nashville Shores. Additionally, Beazley is a former schoolteacher and guidance counselor.

When Pigs Fly now has 75 clients across the world. The company’s largest client are the Six Flags Theme Parks but others include Legoland in Carlsbad, Calif.; the San Francisco Zoo; and Cypress Gardens in Winterhaven, Fla.

Business has continued to double every year due to the exposure the pair receives through the parks and associations, Patrick said.

The recent economic slowdown and $4 gasoline prices haven’t caused When Pigs Fly to slow down any.

Patrick said theme parks are still packed with families, but now most seem to live within a two- to three-hour drive from the parks.

When Pigs Fly has grown so much that Patrick and Beazley are now in the position where they pick and choose from the clients they want to work with. Their ultimate goal is to get to the point where they can hire additional staff.

“This has been a great year for us,” Beazley said, “but it has been a busy one. This is probably our best year for our company yet.”

Between April and September, Patrick and Beazley are on the road each week.

But Patrick and Beasley don’t mind.

Even though the appeal of riding roller coasters has diminished some over the years, they are still having the time of their lives.

Erin Edgemon can be reached at 869-0812 and at eedgemon@murfreesboropost.com.

On the Web: www.whenpigsflyonline.com