Mountain News Corporation - Industry Report

To submit a news item send an email to press@mountainnews.com.

The Industry Report is published by Mountain News Corp., which also publishes OnTheSnow.com

Editor-In-Chief:
- Craig Altschul

President & Publisher:
- Rob Brown

Managing Director:
- Chad Dyer

Advertising Information:
- sales@mountainnews.com

Subscriptions:

-	Subscribe To Industry Report
-
-	What is RSS?

Archives:
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008

Recent Posts:

-	Show Him The Money: Weichsel Plans To Shake Up Hall Of Fame
-	How Will Tour Operators Fare? Erna Low Studies Raise Questions
-	Summer Shorts: 'Governor Otten' And Speedos
-	How Bad Was It For Euros Crossing The Pond To Ski? How Good Might It Be?
-	The Future Of The Industry: Start With Level 1 Ski School
-	Summer Shorts: Now Here's A Stimulus Package
-	Perino To Headline Colorado Ski Country Confab: 'Energy Issues Have Consequences'
-	Where Are They Now? Michigan's Winningest Racer Cary Adgate Inducted In Hall
-	Summer Shorts: It's A Bachelor Pad At Beaver Creek
-	Summer Lodging Declines Follow Winter's 'Unparalleled Decrease'

« Previous Story | The Industry Report Home Page | Next Story »

June 04, 2007

The REITing Is On The Wall

There's a new acronym in the snow industry vocabulary. It's REIT, as in Real Estate Investment Trust. Orlando-based CNL (not an acronym, by the way) is one of the nation's largest privately held real estate investment and development companies. The 34-year-old company, which has formed or acquired companies with more than $19 billion in assets, has recently taken a significant dip into the ski resort ownership pool.

CNL brought snow industry veteran Steve Rice to Orlando in May as Vice President of Investments of CNL Income Corp., the advisor to CNL Income Properties, Inc., a REIT that invests in income-producing properties with a focus on lifestyle-related industries.

"REITs are becoming increasingly attractive to owners and ownership groups in the snow industry," Rice told The Industry Report in an interview from his new Florida base, "because they allow current management to stay deeply involved." ...continue reading »

Skis And A Latte? It's A Breeze Again

Specialty Sports Ventures (SSV) announced it has reached an agreement to acquire 18 Breeze Ski Rental shops in Colorado, Utah, and California for $6.5 million. That makes SSV, a joint venture majority-owned by Vail Resorts, one of the largest equipment rental chains in the nation with 145 total shops.

Add in two Starbucks locations also acquired in the deal adjacent to the Breeze shops at high-traffic Dumont on I-70 and at the base of Aspen Mountain, and, well, getting your skis and a Caramel Macchiato will be a breeze. The Starbucks shops will be run by Vail.

"The Breeze name has been around for a really long time and is widely recognized by many skiers and snowboarders," SSV President Ken Gart told The Industry Report shortly after the agreement was reached. "Because of its strong brand identity, we think this is a real opportunity to restore its luster and stature as a top tier equipment rental experience." ...continue reading »

Whistler Gives In To Summer

The season came to a close yesterday at Whistler, BC, but only after the second-highest snowfall on record, the opening of the Symphony Amphitheatre, and the early hype for the Peak to Peak Gondola.

Like numbers? The snowfall totaled 46 feet, 40 percent more than normal; two million skiers and riders sampled it; 22,156 bought season passes; 1,912 kids' lessons were taught April 3; and 1,000 acres of Symphony Amphitheatre terrain was accessed by the Symphony Quad.

The biggest news by far was the announcement of the $50 million Peak to Peak Gondola that, by December 2008, will span 4.4 km in 11 minutes and will become a year-round tourist attraction. ...continue reading »