Tellers keep fairgrounds swap meet

Alicia Robinson

It’s official: Tel Phil Enterprises will continue to operate the

weekend swap meet at the Orange County Fairgrounds for at least five

years.

“I’m delighted that the process is over with,” said Tel Phil’s

Jeff Teller.

“It’s been a long two-year process, and I’m anxious to get back to

the really important thing, which is running the business.”

The fair board on Thursday granted Tel Phil the right to negotiate

a five-year lease with a five-year option to run the Orange County

Market Place, a popular swap meet that has been held at the

fairgrounds for 35 years.

The actual lease will likely be signed at the fair board’s next

meeting, board member Ruben Smith said.

The fair will get at least $3.5 million per year from the contract

-- a minimum requirement by the board -- but the Market Place

historically has brought the fair between $4.5 million and $5 million

in annual profits, Smith said.

It’s taken more than two years to get a lease inked. The swap meet

was founded in 1969 by Bob Teller and is still run by his son Jeff

through the family’s company, Tel Phil.

The fair board is required to hold open bidding for the lease, and

Tel Phil was one of two bidders in 2003.

Those bids were tossed out by the board in July 2003 because of a

technical problem with one bid and controversy between the two

bidding companies.

The other earlier bidder, New York-based Delaware North, did not

submit a bid this time, which Smith said surprised him.

A Delaware North consultant said earlier that restrictions on the

bidding limited the company from being able to offer its most

competitive bid.

“I think it was a very competitive process,” Smith said.

“I think at the end of the day, the Tel Phil operation really has

benefited from reviewing all of their processes and everything they

do, and I think the fairgrounds benefited because we were able to

bring together someone that’s been there for 35 years.”

Jeff Teller said he’s grateful for the community’s support

throughout the drawn-out bidding process.

On more than one occasion, people packed fair board meetings to

speak in support of the Teller family and what they’ve done for the

community through the swap meet.

“We are very proud to be part of this community and look forward

to continuing to be worthy of their support going forward in the next

10 years,” he said.