Meet Alterra Mountain Company

[Blue Streak]

How does this make much of an impact on the Front Range?
It kills the RMSP+ , doesn’t it?
How is that good?
Does Powdr put Copper and Eldora into a cooperative agreement with the rest of the orphans, like Created Butte, Monarch, Powderhorn, etc?
That would be cool.

 

[coskigirl]

I don’t understand the vehemence toward the name. I see it as a combination of the words altitude and terra and see why they would use it given the portfolio.

 

[fatbob]

I don’t understand the vehemence toward the name. I see it as a combination of the words altitude and terra and see why they would use it given the portfolio.

It's just a bit meh. It doesn't say upmarket ski resorts to me - it just says cliched holding company. In a consumer context the name could equally apply to hiking boots, quad bikes, SUVs, granola, sunflower spread and yes bedroom enhancing pharmaceuticals.

Now the name game is pretty hard ( pun acknowedged) people are quite reactionary and ultimately it's about how successful they are in creating the right associations with the name. Personally I might be a bit bolder and go for something a bit more millennial that speaks directly to what they are about like Slope Inc but I don't think that would be high end enough for them. Powder already being taken as the best direct name.

 

[coskigirl]

But they aren’t just about ski slopes so why would they pigeonhole themselves with a name like Slope Inc?

 

[fatbob]

It's pretty undeniable mountains have slopes so it speaks to gradients and to me summer hiking, wildflowers, mountain biking , slides etc. But clearly your only association is with ski slopes.

Just like you see Altitude and Terrain in Alterra And I just see All-terrain like an SUV.

People perceive differently and its cinfusing.

 

[Philpug]

sounds like an old Nissan SUV....

Thats the first thing I thought. The thread could bace been in the Garage section of the site and would have been just as, if not more, at home. Or even as a muscle medication in The Rehab Forum or a Financial service or a Vodka..it could be anything. Way too safe...and this is not a company that plays things safe. Which leads me into...

I don’t understand the vehemence toward the name. I see it as a combination of the words altitude and terra and see why they would use it given the portfolio.

I guess it just seems contrived, a made up word that is supposed to look natural. But it won't stop me from going to any of the resorts either. I do like the font of the A too . I am excited to see what the pass will look like, IMHO it will be competitive and well thought out. I don't think they will sell as many EpicPasses and IMHO I am not sure they want to either. Vail is a marketing giant, they son't sell the steak, they sell the perceived sizzle. Alterra will be selling the steak.

 

[mdf]

I do like the font of the A

Me too, best part of the branding.

 

[Started at 53]

They will make bucket loads of cash when they develop (think real estate) the back side of Deer Valley. No way this is about ticket prices or season passes. Those .5 acre lots will go for $300,000 to $500,000 each.

 

[Tricia]

I know that Phil and I enjoyed our time at Deer Valley in a huge way this past week.
Beyond the great terrain we experienced, ironically very few groomers, the hospitality and amenities of this mountain are incredible. I plan on going back in the very near future.

 

[Started at 53]

I know that Phil and I enjoyed our time at Deer Valley in a huge way this past week.
Beyond the great terrain we experienced, ironically very few groomers, the hospitality and amenities of this mountain are incredible. I plan on going back in the very near future.

And that is why it will me our home mountain and we will be season pass holders.

They do things right from what I can see

 

[New2]

They will make bucket loads of cash when they develop (think real estate) the back side of Deer Valley. No way this is about ticket prices or season passes. Those .5 acre lots will go for $300,000 to $500,000 each.

While I think it's true that Alterra's shaping up to be more of a real estate developer than, say, Vail... I don't think that they're going to let ski area operations take a backseat. I think a big reason for bringing in Aspen expertise is to switch up ski operations where needed to improve guest experience and ski area profitability... and real estate profitability will follow.

Edit: not really targeted specifically at Deer Valley--I think their previous management did a fantastic job, and there's not a whole lot that Alterra can do to improve their operations overall. More about improving the experience at some of the other properties.

 

[Jilly]

Well Tremblant needs improvement in both areas. The Versant Soleil real estate has been a bomb. Nothing done over there in probably 10 years. And we sorrily need improvements on the hill. They did update a lot of the snowmaking guns this summer. But that must have been in the works long before Alterra bought them, as the deal wasn't finally till fall.

Intrawest was only interested in real estate. Wonder what happened to the company that bought the commercial stores both at Tremblant and Blue. It was a relative of Joe and based in Florida.

 

[mikel]

Well Vail area has set a new bar for real estate. At least for themselves.

"Vail area real estate market cracks $2B for first time since 2008"

https://www.denverpost.com/2018/01/08/eagle-county-real-estate-market/

 

[Jim Kenney]

I wonder why Solitude was never included in the deal originally or now? It would give Alterra more traction in Utah to have two resorts there.

Alterra Mountain Co. resorts include Steamboat and Winter Park in Colorado; Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows,Mammoth Mountain, June Mountain and Big Bear Mountain Resort in California; Stratton in Vermont; Snowshoe in West Virginia; Tremblant inQuebec, Blue Mountain in Ontario; Deer Valley in Utah; and CMHHeli-Skiing & Summer Adventures in British Columbia.

It will be interesting to see how MCP looks going forward and whether they will pick up some resorts to cover the subtractions including thefts from MaxPass?
MCP includes:
Alta
Aspen Snowmass probably scratch
Banff Sunshine Village
Ski Queenstown-Coronet Peak-The Remarkables
Jackson Hole
Lake Louise
Mammoth scratch
Revelstoke
Snowbasin
Snowbird
Squaw Valley / Alpine Meadows scratch
Sugarbush
Sun Valley
Taos
Telluride
Thredbo

 

[Muleski]

Curious. What does the total real estate sales volume in Eagle County and the Vail Valley have to do with Vail Resorts.....let alone Alterra?

Am I missing something?

Shall we look at sales volume for Jackson, Aspen and the RFV, Sun Valley?

I believe that the sales volume is up everywhere. That's all I hear.

May slow a bit with the new tax plan, and other factors. We'll see.

 

[JPM]

They will make bucket loads of cash when they develop (think real estate) the back side of Deer Valley. No way this is about ticket prices or season passes. Those .5 acre lots will go for $300,000 to $500,000 each.

Socratic questions.

Think backside.
Who is the biggest player around Mayflower?
Where are they from?
How much land do they own?
What is the plan?

 

[Philpug]

They will make bucket loads of cash when they develop (think real estate) the back side of Deer Valley. No way this is about ticket prices or season passes. Those .5 acre lots will go for $300,000 to $500,000 each.

Maybe it's me but $300-500K does not sound like a lot for a premium lot with this type of access.

 

[Started at 53]

And don’t forget the Four Seasons hotel that is going in between Mayflower and Heber City on the Alterra land too

 

[coskigirl]

I guess it just seems contrived, a made up word that is supposed to look natural.

Like Pugski? Contrived, made up words are part of a lot of company names.

 

[LKLA]

Like Pugski? Contrived, made up words are part of a lot of company names.

Given they will look to foster the individual mountains and likely go public in a year or two (that is what private equity firms do with most of their investments) the name means little. Seems like 99% if folks skiing Deer Valley next year won’t notice any difference in the name/branding.

Vail Resorts is not a great name either. It confuses/muddles the other assts MTN has that are not Vail or Beaver Creek. Intrawest was....an airline?

Not sure it much matters what they name it. Perhaps why they took their time and were in no rush to do so.