Vail overrun by Texans? The sale could be sooner than you think.

[powstash]

This from SAM news if you didn't hear about it.

Two Finalists Vie for Vail Resorts
Vail, Colo., July 30, 2004--Two large buyout firms are finalists in the possible sale of Vail Resorts, according to a report in the Denver Post. Sources have told the paper that Texas Pacific Group and Henry Kravis, a principal in New York investment firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR), both submitted proposals this week.

Sources said that VR's board might choose a finalist or decide not to pursue a sale within the next week or so. Reports estimate the company's value between $800 million and $1.4 billion. VR and its suitors have declined to comment, leaving it unclear whether the potential buyers would keep the company intact or sell the lift operations, real estate, and hospitality divisions individually.

[The Jackamo]

texas pacific owns burger king. guess what'll start popping up if vail gets bought by them...

[Trackhead]

Pffft.........1.4 billion. Chump change.

Stash, 9th-sundial?

[p-tex]

Vail overrun by Texans?[/B]

This is news?

[The AD]

I just got an email today from Adam Aron thanking me for my patronage. Apparently I am a "among [their] most valuable guests." Who woulda thunk it?

Anyway, one of the things they hype in the email is a "whopping 33% increase in grooming year-over-year at each of Vail and Beaver Creek."

I'm sure the Texans love to hear that

[Tippster]

Originally posted by The AD
I just got an email today from Adam Aron thanking me for my patronage. Apparently I am a "among [their] most valuable guests." Who woulda thunk it?

Anyway, one of the things they hype in the email is a "whopping 33% increase in grooming year-over-year at each of Vail and Beaver Creek."

I'm sure the Texans love to hear that

Heh!. I got that one too:

Dear Tipp:
On behalf of all of us at Vail Resorts, I extend our deep gratitude to you, among our most valued guests, for your continued patronage.

If you visited one of our five world-class ski resorts with family or friends this past winter, I hope that you enjoyed your stay with us. We unveiled many new improvements this past winter season, including additional grooming and snowmaking at Vail and Beaver Creek, and new lifts at Heavenly and Beaver Creek. Keystone started an exciting evolution, bringing a renewed vitality both on the mountain and off with 867 additional acres of glade and bowl skiing via snowcat, a new and greatly expanded snowmaking system, a highly popular 50-acre terrain park, and additional nightlife and festive events in River Run Village.

We also made exciting progress toward the objective of revitalizing the residential base village experience in Breckenridge and Vail. Vail's plan in particular can be seen at www.newvail.com.

In our ongoing commitment to excellence in both amenities and service, we are again investing tens of millions of dollars into improving the experience for you next winter. You'll see new high-speed chairlifts at both Heavenly and Beaver Creek, additional skier services facilities at Beaver Creek's Bachelor Gulch, and a whopping 33% increase in grooming year-over-year at each of Vail and Beaver Creek. In addition, we are especially excited to have broken ground on the first portion of our Company's most ambitious development project to date -- the comprehensive renovation of Vail's LionsHead Village and the ski yard in Vail Village. Watch as Vail's New Dawn unfolds over the next few ski seasons with new skier services facilities, an outdoor ice skating rink, additional shopping, dining and luxurious lodging, entertainment venues and enhanced pedestrian streetscapes.

I am writing you today, without any particular commercial message, other than to thank you for your longstanding interest in our world-class resorts. While I hope you are having a wonderful summer, start getting excited- a new ski season is but a few months away.

Vail Resorts Inc., 137 Benchmark Road, Avon, CO 81620

[splat]

Originally posted by Trackhead
Pffft.........1.4 billion served. Chump change.

Stash, 9th-sundial?

Yeah, McDonalds is at like, what, 19 billion?

[summit]

According to the paper, all speculation by the money types is that any buyer will split up the resorts.

[Xover]

Originally posted by Trackhead
Pffft.........1.4 billion. Chump change.

Stash, 9th-sundial?

YO Dipchit,

don't count me out yet; I'm currently working a "deal" at work to try and get out that day - for the Black Streak. Bring your game face.

[kailas]

Vail = McSkiing. Ever notice they always show a picture of the Gore range, like that's where your skiing. Flails new dawn is to keep building trophy homes for out of state wankers.

[Cosmic Bandito]

Well, on the positive side, both TPG and KKR are great operations guys who invest where they see value. It will be interesting to see what Vail Resorts looks like in a couple of years.

You won't be able to argue that VR is mismanaged.

[Below Zero]

So when do you guys think the price of the pass will go up? Next year? The year after? Or will it at all?

[gonzo]

the reports have consistently said the buyer will "split & sell the assets" - i wonder if that means just dividing the mountains or dividing mountains from real estate from rental shops from eateries, etc...

[homerjay]

Originally posted by gonzo
the reports have consistently said the buyer will "split & sell the assets" - i wonder if that means just dividing the mountains or dividing mountains from real estate from rental shops from eateries, etc...

I'd think it would be splitting up the real-estate, the ski operations, and maybe some of the summer resorts they own. There can't be much more real estate in the valley on which to build, though.

Below zero- pass prices will likely go up as soon as the company gets split up, it's far less profitable to run the ski area than it is to sell trophy homes. They jacked the price of the 20-day pass $120 last year, so it'll only be a matter of time.

They've been selling cheap passes to front rangers for years, but they're not making any money from that, front rangers pack a lunch rather than spend $75 for lunch for a family of 4, they don't buy fur coats and shit that's sold in vail village. They don't stay in the expensive hotels. I'm hoping to see some sort of shift there, unless they can continue to make it affordable, visits will go down, and despite a raise in lift ticket/pass prices (can they raise it much more than $71 a day?), revenue will likely go down, too.

What I'm trying to say is they will probably either make it more attractive and affordable to front rangers and try to bring in more business, or try to cater to the high end destination skiers and price out day trippers and front rangers and the like.

I personally love skiing there, it seems to snow alot more than in summit county and I can find the goods despite high pressure snow droughts, but I've got my eye on this situation.

[The AD]

Originally posted by homerjay
They've been selling cheap passes to front rangers for years, but they're not making any money from that, front rangers pack a lunch rather than spend $75 for lunch for a family of 4, they don't buy fur coats and shit that's sold in vail village. They don't stay in the expensive hotels.

They do get some blood from these stones by charging them to park, though, the greedy bastards.

[homerjay]

Originally posted by The AD
They do get some blood from these stones by charging them to park, though, the greedy bastards.

I park in the %#$^@$% lot....free!!!

[powstash]

Originally posted by Trackhead
Pffft.........1.4 billion. Chump change.

Stash, 9th-sundial?

I'm in. PM me with details on time to meet, when, etc. What route? I don't have a full rack but I'm betting that you do. Xover, an update please!

The rain we've been getting may impact the rock quality if it continues to rain into Sunday night.

Now back to the topic on hand....flail resorts and burger king.

[Trackhead]

Stash,

Thy PM box is over-runneth.