Ben Lomond Ski Lift Company for sale

[shabu_shabu]

https://www.castran.com.au/property-details/1-Ben-Lomond-Road-Ben-Lomond/813467

"7 lifts to be sold as a going concern. Fully compliant and ready to go. This extremely rare opportunity to capture the booming Tasmanian tourist market. Winter and summer tourism icon - Ben Lomond is position perfect and spectacular in every sense.

Offers over $1.75m will be considered."

Although at the moment there are only 6 lifts working. From their website:

"Village Poma: CLOSED 2019 SEASON due to late arrival of cable, May not February & inappropriate installation conditions on numerous attempts."

 

[Jellybeans]

Wasn’t the Corin/Mt Buffalo Lift guy going to buy it?

 

[Bogong]

That was sort of inevitable after Eryl's passing, the pub burning and the other businesses on the mountain not having sufficient capital to bring the whole mountain under one owner and invest much needed capital in things like snow making, better electricity, etc.

If those things were done, the resort could be a viable integrated beginner and intermediate level ski resort with potential for summer tourism (provided the usually obstructive PWS allows them to build a few walking tracks). However the whole resort is above the treeline and from personal experience I can attest that when there is a gale blowing, there is no shelter for skiers except heading indoors.

It's interesting that they listed it with Castran, a mainland ski area real estate agent rather than with a business broker. But I guess Ben Lomond would appeal more to Castran's market than clients of traditional business sales people.

 

[skifree]

@PK Sawd hows the piggy bank?

 

[PK Sawd]

@PK Sawd hows the piggy bank?

Not real good and I doubt I'd be investing in it even if it was nice and fat. I have to admit I haven't a great desire to even go there myself so I can't imagine wanting to invest in it. I'd rather get up and down on my own steam. How things change hey? I spent dosh skiing shit, icy runs in the Lecht and Cairngorm a couple of decades ago and didn't think twice about it!

Seriously though, is the suggestion that Ben Lomond could tap into the booming tourism market even vaguely likely? Bogong's suggestion of investing in good walking tracks has merit but I can't see that tourists would be flocking there for the skiing. You might organise something like the Wintergreen bus tours that shuttle loads of visitors from the Asia region for a day taster to the snow I suppose. Certainly there is a much bigger market from those regions due to the increase in enrolment in Tertiary education. Ultimately I'm guessing the climate is just too marginal for reliable sliding even with snow making investment.

 

[Lady Penelope]

My first ever skiing experience was many years ago at Ben Lomond. I nearly froze to death and have vivid memories of THAT access road (Jacob’s Ladder?). It was almost another 30 years before I donned a set of skis again Having said that, $1.75 million seems like a steal!

 

[RARRRRRRR]

Ben actually has good mtb potential but then you would have to deal with parks so I don't see that happening.

 

[brycedh]

Best case scenario is that snow sports buys it so it can all be under one operator, i find the two separate business' up there hurts ben lomond. Really excited for things to come as i've now got a member share in a lodge up there this year!

 

[SirWinston]

$1.75M for old infrastructure, a limited water supply for snowmaking, and marginal snow at best? There’s no proper pub, a burnt down public shelter, and an intimidating access road? Wages are stagnant at best, and disposable incomes are decreasing, especially for the younger demographic that might otherwise become regulars. The only real way the mountain could become viable is if the government invested in it, particularly with regard to power infrastructure. $1.75M, that’s a lot of money to find for a business that might only operate four weeks a year. That cost would be ultimately passed on as an increase to lift ticket prices, which would reduce the number of people paying to use them. If a not-for-profit operated it, backed by support from the government for income shortfalls and infrastructure, a reduction in lift ticket prices might help increase the number of people utilizing the mountain throughout a season. But people have been trying to swing the “Ben Lomond investment = better utilization, plus a better drawcard for tourists” argument for decades. It’s unfortunate, but as it stands I can’t see anybody paying anywhere near this kind of money for it.

 

[Ben Lomond Brad]

The interesting part of the sale has been the way it has been promoted - many of the photographs indicate there are buildings for sale and the headlines seem to suggest the whole resort is for sale.
Offers have been made in the past of less than half of what is being asked and have been turned down. $1.75M give plenty of 'wriggle room' for someone to still think they have a bargain........
PWS are currently investigating the building of a multipurpose building to potentially hold a kiosk/bar, day shelter, toilets and possibly ski hire and lift ticket sales area. Even if they got tenders and designed sorted prior to Christmas, a building such as this wouldn't be open until 2021 at the earliest

 

[Seafm]

The interesting part of the sale has been the way it has been promoted - many of the photographs indicate there are buildings for sale and the headlines seem to suggest the whole resort is for sale.
Offers have been made in the past of less than half of what is being asked and have been turned down. $1.75M give plenty of 'wriggle room' for someone to still think they have a bargain........
PWS are currently investigating the building of a multipurpose building to potentially hold a kiosk/bar, day shelter, toilets and possibly ski hire and lift ticket sales area. Even if they got tenders and designed sorted prior to Christmas, a building such as this wouldn't be open until 2021 at the earliest

First post in how long? I thought you had fallen off the face of the earth.

 

[Ben Lomond Brad]

First post in how long? I thought you had fallen off the face of the earth.

life got in the way

 

[rowdyflat]

Vail should buy it .

 

[PK Sawd]

I looked at the ski cam on Lomond a couple of days after they'd finished running this year and they probably had some of the best conditions of the season. It's a fickle business.

 

[Ben Lomond Brad]

I looked at the ski cam on Lomond a couple of days after they'd finished running this year and they probably had some of the best conditions of the season. It's a fickle business.

and by the Wednesday it was all gone again................