A new grouping of a dozen Canadian and US resorts that was created from scratch in around a week last spring, surprising the North American ski world, has finally decided on a name: The Alterra Mountain Company.
The conglomerate came about when two businesses, Colorado-based finance house KSL Capital Partners (the main investor) and Henry Crown and Company (a smaller investor) which already owns Aspen Ski Company, went on a (guesstimated) $2 billion spending spree and snapped up resorts including Steamboat and Winter Park in Colorado; Mammoth, Alpine Meadows and Squaw Valley in California; Deer Valley at Park City in Utah and Eastern Canada's most popular resort, Tremblant in Quebec, along with half-a-dozen others.
They included the last resorts owned by the one great but now finally defunct Intrawest Company which in its heyday nearly two decades ago owned a dozen resorts itself, including Whistler Blackcomb, had established resort bases at Les Arcs (Arc 1900) and Flaine in France and was even running a snowdome in Madrid.
But things moved so fast the new resort grouping didn't have a name, until now.
Media pundits have speculated that the creation of the new group as a response to the increasing market domination of Vail Resorts which also owns about a dozen North American resorts with recent acquisitions including Whistler Blackcomb, North America's largest ski area, and the iconic New England resort of Stowe in Vermont.
However in statements issued the new groups owners have insisted they do not plan to follow Vail's business model of creating a corporate 'Epic Pass' identity at each resort but to allow them to run independently.
"Alterra Mountain Company is made up of unique mountain destinations, each with a personality and spirit that has delighted visitors for generations. Our vision at Alterra Mountain Company is to protect and enhance what makes each destination special, inviting guests back to their favourite mountain, and enticing them to visit new destinations on their bucket list," said David Perry, President and COO, Alterra Mountain Company. "We respect and continue to learn from the pioneers and leaders that built these iconic locations and paved the way before us, as we push the boundaries and innovate for our future."
www.alterramtnco.com