Testimonials

Raba-Kistner Consultants, Inc.

I want to thank you for making our family picnic such a success. From the beginning to the end, you and your employees had such great enthusiasm and a smile for everyone. The response from the employees has been tremendous. Everything was great – food, DJ, Bingo, breeze under the shade trees, games, rides, etc. The Olympic Games allow young, old, athletic and not so athletic (like myself) to participate. My personal thanks to your group for such a well-run operation. You made my day simple and easy!
Marty Landry, Administrative Assistant

TDIndustries, LTD

Where do we begin? Since that first conversation, the words “We will take care of everything. You and your employees just relax and enjoy!” I thought…would this picnic really be different? Have we stumbled into a dream too good, to be true? Well… It is with great pleasure that we send you this letter, commending you, and your staff, for the tremendous effort put forth in making our TDIndustries Company Picnic a huge success. We were extremely pleased with the results. You and your staff provided an excellent day of family fun with great entertainment, energetic music, good food, and wonderful games for both kids and adults. Your sincere concern with each detail of this event, and its perfect implementation, was exemplary. Thank you for your diligent work in less than a month of planning. We hold you in very high regard and will recommend you to everyone!
Susan Ann Sewell

Labatt Food Service

I have a very happy problem. I have run out of ways to say “Thank You” for the wonderful job you do for us every year. Since the beginning (2003) until now when we have our entire function for 800 people at Shady Oaks Ranch, I have only experienced a cooperative, professional effort that has made my event successful every year. Our employees thoroughly enjoy the privacy and versatility of your facilities. It is close enough to be convenient for everyone, yet has the feeling of being out in the country. We have enjoyed your continued improvements in the facility and, as a foodservice company, appreciate your flexibility in working with us to create our own menus. Your staff had always been extremely courteous and hard working.
Chris Anyel, Marketing Director

Jordan Ford

Jordan Ford has held our last two company picnics at Shady Oaks Ranch. It is a great facility with a family atmosphere. They have many activities for all ages and are constantly entertaining the guests to make sure everyone is enjoying themselves. We have been to many places over the years and feel this is the best. One of the nice things about their operation is that is “turn key”. All we have to do is pick the date that we want and they do the rest. They supply all the food, they organize the games, and they allow the people in your company responsible for organizing the picnic to enjoy the festivities. I highly recommend this place to anyone who wishes to have a successful picnic or party. The owners and staff are very professional and accommodating and UI have no doubts that your employees will have a great time!
Mike Trompeter, Partner

Vulcan Materials Company

I just want to let you know how much Vulcan Materials Company and personally myself enjoyed Shady Oaks Ranch. The last two years Vulcan Materials Company has held the annual company picnic at your ranch. I have had all positive feedback from the employees that attended the picnic. The employees feel that is a safe environment to take their children. All the activities you provide to keep us entertained such as Bingo, Olympic Games, train ride, kiddie games, mini carnival rides, walking trails, petting zoo, mini-lake and many other activities and entertainment. When it was time to make the decision as to where to have the next Vulcan Materials Company picnic, shady Oaks Ranch was the first place that came to mind from all the fun the company had the years before. Thank you for providing Vulcan Materials Company an outstanding company picnic.
Teresa Salinas, Human Resources

Big Red/Seven-Up Bottling Company of South Texas

We would like to personally thank you for your efforts in making our Big Red/Seven-Up Company Picnic a tremendous success!!! All of our employees who attended have heaped praise on us for selecting Shady Oaks Ranch. The child and adult Olympics went over extremely well with our employees and was even fun for the people who did not participate. Everyone was favorably impressed with the variety of activities, food, fun and games you provided for the benefit of our employees and their respective families. It makes it even better since you continue to add extra rides, games and amusements to an already impressive picnic agenda. What Denise and I appreciated the most, was that every commitment made by you to us, was delivered and then some. Every detail was taken care of and we couldn’t have asked for more, even more was added for the same cost, ie., unlimited Cotton Candy, Snow Cones and Popcorn. Thank you for hosting a great day, event and family outing and for your efforts in making the day a success. We have already booked the Shady Oaks Ranch for next year’s Company Picnic. Please congratulate your staff on our behalf and once again, Thanks for job well done!!!
Steve Winton & Denise Sorsby

Bartlett Cocke General Contractors

Just a note to let you know how much everyone enjoyed our company picnic at Shady Oaks Ranch. It was a wonderful event. There was something for all ages. I’m so glad we had chosen to do it at Shady Oaks instead of using our facilities like past years. With the stormy weather we had that morning, I would never have been able to get everything up and running; we would have had to cancel our picnic. However, at Shady Oaks Ranch, it worked out fine and wasn’t even muddy. We’re all looking forward to coming again next year. Thanks again.
Patricia Howard, Executive Assistant

San Antonio Water System (SAWS)

I just want to take a few minutes to say “Thank You” very much for all your help with our Watershed Festival at Shady Oaks Ranch. This year’s festival was the best ever due to the change in location to your ranch. The beautiful sunny weather accented by the large shade trees, green grass and courtesy of your employees made this two-day event one our participants and staff won’t soon forget. In fact, all the teachers who attended the festival ranked Shady Oaks Ranch as an outstanding place to have this event. One teacher even said: “Best field trip we’ve ever been on. Shady Oaks facilities were outstanding!” Again, Thank You very much for helping to make everything run smoothly and we look forward to working with you again next year.
Greg Wukasch, SAWS H2O University

C H Guenther & Son, Inc.

Thank you for hosting our most recent company event. The facilities, food, planned events and your staff made this year’s event a success. Your facility creates a relaxing atmosphere that allows everyone to himself or herself while having the opportunity to be as involved in the planned events as they want to be. The food was terrific hit along with the concession items that young and old were able to enjoy. Your staff allowed our staff to enjoy ourselves and not worry about the event. The planned events encouraged participation, which allowed individuals to interact with one another. I appreciate your ability to accommodate our various requests, which allowed us to have a quality event. We look forward to seeing you again for some of our future events.
Kevin D. Clinton, Senior Human Resource Manager

Beldon Roofing Company

Just a quick note to tell y’all how much the folks at Beldon enjoyed the company picnic at your ranch. the grounds, facilities, games, food and activities were great. The D.J. was the best – very interactive, personal and professional. The members of your staff were always very helpful. I probably received more compliments this year than I did last year. I only wish I had won a bingo prize!!!!!
Sandra Medina, Administrative Assistant

South Texas Oncology and Hematology, P.A.

I gladly write this letter of recommendation for Shady Oaks Ranch and you as well. What a fantastic job you did for STOH’s Company Picnic. You helped bring us back to the family style country picnic we we’re looking for. Our employees and family were able to enjoy the food, games, amusements and music, not to mention the Bingo which was a huge hit with our group. What sold us on your company was the total package you offered in handling everything from start to finish. I have to admit it was the first time I was able to relax and have a great time right along with everyone else. STOH employees have previously enjoyed picnics at Sea World and Pedrotti’s, but Shady oaks Ranch was indeed the most enjoyed company picnic so far. The staff is still talking about how personable and family oriented you helped to make this year’s picnic. I have and will continue to recommend Shady Oaks Ranch to any company that needs to hold any type of function. Thanks again for a fine outstanding job!
Pat Blair, Company Picnic Coordinator

Straus-Frank Company CarQuest Auto Parts

I would like to thank you fan your staff for a job well done at the Straus-Frank Company Picnic. The event was a great success, and we have heard nothing but positive feedback from many of our employees. Everyone enjoyed the entertainment as well as the food and of course the many prizes. Thank you again for making our company picnic a very enjoyable experience for our employees and their families.
Jeanie Campbell, Company Party Coordinator

Travelocity

On behalf of Travelocity.com, I want to thank you and your staff for hosting us. Your staff was VERY friendly and always had a smile on their faces. With you hosting the whole event we were able to relax and enjoy each others company. it was great seeing the children and the parents having a great time and we can’t THANK YOU enough for treating us so nicely. We will definitely be out there again next year.
Matthew Gary, Travelocity.com

SAMMinistries

SAMMinistries would like to offer you our sincere appreciation for the kindness and care you showed SAMMinistries and our volunteers. Your hosting our Volunteer Appreciation Picnic was instrumental in our volunteers having a fulfilling experience and feeling cared for. Our time at Shady Oaks allowed us to say thank you in a way that words often neglect and this would not be possible without the staff of Shady Oaks Ranch. Your facility allowed their children of our dedicated families to experience pure joy, allowed families to celebrate families, and allowed SAMMinistries to say fellowship with our committed volunteers. The smiles and memories that you provided our volunteers, our staff, and our leadership have impacted each of us fully. Thank You so much for your gracious service to us and we hope to return to Shady Oaks Ranch.
Matt Curtis, Volunteer Coordinator

RE/MAX Preferred Realtors

I have had nothing but compliments on the wonderful client party we hosted at your terrific facility. In fact, the party wasn’t over and people were already complementing us on the way it was handled. The facilities were clean and well laid out, the staff was attentive and polite and the entire event surpassed our expectations. I understand one guest has already planned a company event of their own with you. We are already planning another event there. Keep up the excellent work!
Thomas D. Fentress, Broker/Associate

Department of the Air Force (AETC)

Please pass on my personal thanks and appreciation to your staff for hosting an amazing Holiday party for our Squadron. Thanks for all the special accommodations. Laurie Cobb, my assistant, also sends her thanks as well for the extra time and efforts you all placed into making our event at Shady Oaks Ranch a success. The planning and execution of the event, down to the smallest detail, was nothing short of impressive. Please let your staff know that we appreciated their dedication to making our event fun and enjoyable as we celebrated holidays together. We look forward to hosting another event in the future!
Rick E. Jellison, Lt. Col, USAF Director, Financial Management, Randolph AFB

Civil Engineering Consultants – Don Durden, Inc.

I would like to express our extreme gratitude to you and your staff for the wonderful picnic provided for our employees. It was a HUGE success. You guys sure know how to throw a party. The food was great. The timing of activities was excellent. Everyone had plenty of activities to enjoy throughout the day and yet people were not rushed form one event to another. The broad range of activities including the Bingo, amusement rides and Olympic Games for both the kids and adults made it easy for everyone to get involved. I have received wonderful feedback from our employees relaying what a great time they had. CEC is celebrating our 25th anniversary and you all made our picnic one to remember. The extra effort with steaks, grilled chicken, servers, linens and decorations really made our celebration extra special. You are awesome! As one of the people responsible for planning this event, there is little we have to do other than coordinate dates and provide you with a head count. You provide the catering, plan the activities and keep everything moving. We can all just show up and have a good time. I really appreciate that. We plan to return next year. Keep up the good work.
Cecilia R. Mendoza, Human Resources Administrator

Frozen Beverage Dispensers (FBD)

Thank you so much for organizing such an outstanding event for our employees and their families. You and your staff made it look so easy! Everyone just loved the shady and relaxing atmosphere. We received raving reviews from all employees. The office buzzed with stories of what a great time everyone had. All the activities were a hit…especially the volleyball tournament and the Olympic events. The children enjoyed all the activities so much that they didn’t want to leave! Many employees commented about how well organized it was and were surprised that they didn’t have to stand in long lines for food and other concessions. Everything seemed to run smooth and all were having a good time. Job well done! Thanks again for all your efforts in making this a successful event. We look forward to working with you in the future!
Sterphanie Iden, Director HR

William Howard Taft High School

I just wanted to take a moment to express my appreciation on your efforts in making our Project Graduation Party a huge success. Starting with my first phone call your professionalism and follow up on every detail assured me I made the right decision. Arriving at the ranch we were greeted with a huge “Welcome!” The scenery was beautiful, and the kids became very excited after seeing the great buffet and all the rides. Your staff was the best, keeping the food constant and the serving area very clean. The DJ was great, playing all the top music. The surreal atmosphere at the ranch allowed everyone to take a deep breath and appreciate his or her accomplishments. I would highly recommend your ranch to everyone. Thanks you much for your hospitality and your great service; it by far exceeded my expectations.
Diane Dansby, Project Graduation Coordinator

Jaster-Quintanilla San Antonio, LLP Consulting Engineers

First, let me start off by saying we are extremely glad we discovered Shady Oaks Ranch – what a find! It made all of our past picnics seem so boring. Second, I want to extend my personal thanks to you. We could tell you are a master at making sure folks have fun. Your hard work and enthusiasm kept us all going and excited about the fun you had lined up for us. Upon arriving at the park I was overwhelmed with all Shady Oaks had to offer including the lush green shady areas, amusement rides, concession stand and game room – and I was still in my car! Let me tell you, the work week after the picnic everyone went on and on about the fun they had. Those employees that didn’t partake so regretted it. These are some of the things we heard throughout the week: my daughter kept saying, “I want to do to Daddy’s picnic”, “the Bingo prizes were great”, “it was cool the winning teams got prizes”, “the music was great”, “the food was yummy”, my kids loved the concession stand, my kids had a great time and want to go back, the train ride was neat, they actually had real amusement rides, wish we could have had more time – so as you can see, a good time was had by all. We enjoyed everything you had to offer and I can tell you my staff liked that they could enjoy the picnic rather than having to organize and run things. Lucky for us, you and your staff were there and did a fantastic job. We are already looking forward to next year and you can bet we will be back at Shady oaks with hopes of getting our other offices to join us for a great company picnic.
Agustin Tellez, PE, Principal