Case Study of Vail Ski Resorts

Essay by MistressUniversity, Master'sA+, November 2004

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878535 Vail Ski Resorts 1

Lesson Project 2

Vail Ski Resorts

Anne Foss

Strategic Management Theory

MT 460-01

Prof. Dennis Edmondson

October 17, 2004

Vail Ski Resort 2

Vail Ski Resort

Strategic Management Theory

Vail Ski Resort opened I n 1962 by Pete Seibert and Earl Eaton along with other associates. It became a premier developer in the world class ski resort.

In 1990, the firmed changed its name to Vail Resorts. They either built or acquired 3 more Colorado ski resorts, all within 45 minutes of each other.

In 2000 the company expanded with the acquisition of Grand Teton Lodge Co. Then in 2002 they added Heavenly resort, the first firm outside Colorado to their holdings.

Over 30 years the firm Seibert and Eaton was sold twice. The second person to acquire the company was George Gillett, who previously owned the Harlem Globetrotters. Mr. Gillett invested heavily in the facilities.

His strategy worked for a while but, in 1990 with bad management with his other enterprises this led to a personal bankruptcy. This left Vail in a struggle among the creditors. Leon Black gained control in 1992 and in 1997 Adam Aron became Chair and CEO.

Their biggest strength is that they started from the bottom up and still continue with this concept. They always consider the customers wants and needs in the ski resorts. (Mountain activities, local accommodations, village concession, entertainment venues, airlines and ground transportation).

One big problem started a weakness started in October of 1998. An Ecoterrorist group firebombed the mountain premier restaurant and 4 ski lifts and the main headquarters

Vail Ski Resorts 3

Adam Aron offered for the first time a set of 5 policy guidelines to divide the firm's strategic-action agenda. These guidelines sought to retain and buttress the firm's...