Barbara Lawlor, Boulder County. As of Monday morning, June 6, 2016 the sale of Eldora Mountain Resort is a done deal. Eldora owners Bill Killebrew, Graham Anderson, and Penny Lewis sold the local resort to Powdr, headquartered in Park City, Utah, which also owns Copper Mountain.
Brent Tregaskis, EMR General Manager, says that except for the former owners leaving, the present administrators will continue to run the operations and the existing team of employees will be there to serve the snow sports guests.
“We don’t anticipate any changes,” says Tregaskis. “The employees will still have their jobs, but now we are a part of a larger conglomerate which owns small resorts. We will have more power and leverage to partner with Copper Mountain. This will enable us to become progressive and offer more beginner programs. We will continue to work on the expansion, including the new lift which will be built next summer, 2017.
Killebrew, Anderson, and Lewis have owned the resort since 1991 and say they welcome the transition to Powdr. “We appreciate the community relationship we’ve had over over 25 years.”
Powdr is one of the largest ski operators in North America whose eight mountain resorts include Copper, Killington, Pico Mountain, Mt. Bachelor, Boreal Mountain Resort, Soda Springs Mountain Resort, Lee Canyon, and Gorgoza Park. The company also owns Woodward camps and progression centers across the US, events company Human Movement Management and media company, Outside Television. It is a sports marketing and entertainment company. Their mission is to share, inspire and celibrate lifestyle and mountain sports.
John Cumming, CEO and owner of Powdr, says, “Colorado’s Front Range is one of the best ski markets in the world. Expanding our footprint here with now two of the most accessible resorts to serve those passionate skiers is an enormous honor. Eldora is admired as a leading entry point and training ground for children and beginners. We want to work hard for more people to join us in the adventure-filled world of snow sports.”
Tregaskis says that Cumming attended the University of Denver and raced for its ski team and lived in Gilpin County, so he is well-acquainted with the area and lifestyle of EMR’s neighbors. Powdr, says Tregaskis has always treated its ski resorts independent of each other and they hang onto their own identity even though they are part of the larger company.
Killebrew says, “I’ve had the privilege of knowing John Cumming for nearly 30 years. He has built a great adventure company and has a reputation as an outstanding operator. When we decided to consider selling Eldora, we wanted to put our resort in the best hands possible and Powdr was the first company that came to mind.”
“It is really time for Bill and Graham to retire and get out of the business,” says Tregaskis. “I think this will give Eldora great access to capital, it just makes sense. It is getting increasingly difficult to stand alone in this business.”
The sale of the resort has been in negotiation for the past few months.
JP Chevalier, Director of Marketing and Skier Services at EMR, says, “Community relationships with Eldora can expect a business as usual experience for the coming winter season. Marketing and business leaders will be reaching out to specific organizations in the coming weeks and months.”
