Vail Resorts buys Wisconsin's Wilmot Mountain ski area
Vail Resorts Inc. said Tuesday it has added the 78-year-old Wilmot Mountain ski area in Kenosha County to its portfolio of Midwest "urban" resorts.
Wilmot Mountain is located roughly midway between Chicago and Milwaukee, just north of the Wisconsin-Illinois line. It was previously owned by Diane Stopa Reese, daughter of founder Walter Stopa. Terms of the purchase were not disclosed.
Vail Resorts (NYSE: MTN), based in Broomfield, Colo., near Denver, already owns the Afton Alps ski area in Minnesota and Mt. Brighton in Michigan, which it acquired in 2012.
Wilmot Mountain was founded in 1938 and was the first in the Midwest to introduce snowmaking, Vail Resorts' announcement said. It now has 25 ski trails, four terrain parks and a 23-lane tubing hill.
“We are thrilled to welcome Wilmot Mountain to the Vail Resorts family," said Rob Katz, company chairman and CEO. "Wilmot is steeped in skiing tradition and enjoys tremendous brand recognition among Chicago and Milwaukee skiers and snowboarders, thanks to the passion and dedication of the Stopa family over the last 75 years."
Vail Resorts said it plans "to transform both the on-mountain and base area experience" at the resort, including better snowmaking, terrain park improvements and expanded dining. It said it would announce more details of the upgrades in its March earnings call.
The company has been looking to acquire smaller ski areas near major urban markets to help drive season pass sales and build skier loyalty in those markets. Vail Resorts' Epic Pass and Epic Local Pass products would be extended to cover Wilmot Mountain in the 2016-17 ski season.
Taylor Ogilvie, previously general manager at Mt. Brighton, has been named to the same position at Wilmot Mountain.
Vail Resorts also operates Colorado's Vail Mountain, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone ski areas as well as Park City in Utah; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada; and Perisher in Australia.
The company also operates RockResorts hotels and develops real estate.
Reported by: Bizjournals.com
Wilmot Mountain is located roughly midway between Chicago and Milwaukee, just north of the Wisconsin-Illinois line. It was previously owned by Diane Stopa Reese, daughter of founder Walter Stopa. Terms of the purchase were not disclosed.
Vail Resorts (NYSE: MTN), based in Broomfield, Colo., near Denver, already owns the Afton Alps ski area in Minnesota and Mt. Brighton in Michigan, which it acquired in 2012.
Wilmot Mountain was founded in 1938 and was the first in the Midwest to introduce snowmaking, Vail Resorts' announcement said. It now has 25 ski trails, four terrain parks and a 23-lane tubing hill.
“We are thrilled to welcome Wilmot Mountain to the Vail Resorts family," said Rob Katz, company chairman and CEO. "Wilmot is steeped in skiing tradition and enjoys tremendous brand recognition among Chicago and Milwaukee skiers and snowboarders, thanks to the passion and dedication of the Stopa family over the last 75 years."
Vail Resorts said it plans "to transform both the on-mountain and base area experience" at the resort, including better snowmaking, terrain park improvements and expanded dining. It said it would announce more details of the upgrades in its March earnings call.
The company has been looking to acquire smaller ski areas near major urban markets to help drive season pass sales and build skier loyalty in those markets. Vail Resorts' Epic Pass and Epic Local Pass products would be extended to cover Wilmot Mountain in the 2016-17 ski season.
Taylor Ogilvie, previously general manager at Mt. Brighton, has been named to the same position at Wilmot Mountain.
Vail Resorts also operates Colorado's Vail Mountain, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone ski areas as well as Park City in Utah; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada; and Perisher in Australia.
The company also operates RockResorts hotels and develops real estate.
Reported by: Bizjournals.com
