Young Professional for Hire
July 1, 2006
I am a currently an attorney in a large law firm in Pittsburgh. I am also a property owner near Wisp. For over a year now, I have been trying to transfer into a company or firm where I could work in some manner with a developer, builder, or resort. Since I was a child it has been my goal to work in this industry. I even illuminated my parent's backyard sledding hill for the local kids during winters =) Because of my academic and professional background, and because of my passion for the resort lifestyle, I feel I can really contribute to the industry.
I have had numerous discussions with developers, as well as the management of resorts practically everywhere in the country...but for one reason or another nothing has come to fruition yet. Several indicated the need for someone with my talents down the road, but not right now.
Since I joined this forum early this winter, I've become an active reader/poster and very much appreciate the information concerning local resorts I've gained from the board. I am also aware that several members of the board may have ties, or ties to ties, to the companies that I am referring to. If anyone knows anyone that might have a receptive ear, please pass along his or her information. Id be more than happy to return the favor.
Many thanks!!!!!!
Update:
Since I posted this I still haven't made any inroads into the resort/development industry.
However, hearing some of the discussion in the other forum re: the Canaan Valley and its future really sort of echoes my thoughts...the need for young energetic minds in resort management with an eye toward rehabilitation and minor development while still preserving the natural surroundings of our resorts. Just wanted to reassert that if ANYONE knows ANYONE who might be an insider in one of our local resorts, and receptive, to please shoot me a PM.
Thanks again
Count me in for this as well. My business is growing in that I'm now doing alot more network engineering related services for business, IT consulting work, desktop PC outsourcing, and more. Heck I'm going to become a reseller/licensed support tech for AllWorx VOIP hardware and am installing that for businesses.
I would *LOVE* to find myself caught up at a resort handling the bulk of their IT infrastructure and also offering my insight as a snowboarder to help management make decisions. Well one can only dream.
Yes, I too have the fantasy of owning my very own ski empire. I am a civil engineer and I have worked on many large infrastructure projects. Thus, I have a sort of 'bricks and mortar' vision of what I would do with the local ski areas. Look at Blue Knob, Timberline, Hidden Valley and Laurel Mountain. They're all either poorly managed or undercapitalized. Add poor marketing on top of that and you have a weak product. If you look at Snowtime, Inc. I often wonder how they make money running ski resorts in marginal weather conditions without major real estate sales. So it is possible to make money just from skiing. Add onto that, a well planned, environmentally sensitive resort community and I think there is money to be made. To achieve the necessary economies of scale, we buy Blue Knob, Timberline, Hidden Valley and Laurel Mountain. Invest in the skiing and undeveloped land and then market the Pittsburg, Baltimore, DC and Cleveland areas, just like they do for resort real estate near the Delaware and Md beaches.
What do you say, shall we start a partnership. We'll do all this with other peoples money, just like every successful business does.
Yes some new blood and young recreation industry minded professionals are what Timberline and CV need badly.
The unfortunate thing is that there are plenty of knowledgable qualified young as well as seasoned professionals who know the recreation industry working at these resorts and or living in the area,in the valley atleast, already. There just seems to be a "stay the course" kind of attitude among the decision makers at these resorts. I know dozens of extremely qualified people who have tried to get their foot in the door, and quite frankly have offered some wonderful recreation industry minded, creative, money making ideas and concepts including some huge low investment high return situations.
What is a concern is the lack of knowledge of the product and customer service. The skiing, hiking, biking are products yet they are treated like amenities and the customer service is well to say the least lacking. These are the major walls right now with these places; they don't know thier product and don't know what other resorts are offering as far as product and customer service and strangely enough they seem unwilling to seek out or listen to anyone who does, let alone want to get a young or seasoned professional involved in the process.
It is frustrating as well as bewildering.
It's really ashame because simple changes and product minded decision making could really improve these resorts and add huge amounts to their profits and customer base while still maintaining the layed back anti-corporate atmosphere.
I honestly believe that is why Wisp is able to be so successful with their resort even though they have a marginal hill to play on. Expansion, creating and integrating REAL ammenitities to it like their steakhouse, amazing lodge, etc. Their focus on advertising SKIING just like Snowtime does. Heck it was in mid-March and I still heard SnowTime advertisements on DC101 saying how Whitetail had over 3-4' of fresh snow on the slopes while the fields, yards, and streets of northern va was bare. Obviously, to us experienced folk, we know that was hyped market on their nightly groomed base. Yet they were marketing themselves as read with open doors to take on a mass escape of snow lovers.
I don't see CV, TLine, HV, LM, and other resorts mentioned focusing on this avenue of advertisement/marketing. Someone else said in the boards last year... that as soon as the temps warm up into the 50's around here, no matter if a 3' blizzard blew through CV, everyone is out playing soccor, softball and ready for summer. These resorts need to jump on the marketing machine from day 1 to closing as if it's been a frosted winter wonderland. Imagine if CV and TLine at least did that this coming year, how much revenue would pick up. 10%? 15%? It'd at least be enough to say "Hey, we now got more than usual amounts of people coming in, lets try to get that new lift or new guns, etc.
Btw - I forgot to say in the post from the other day, ski resort or not, if anyone's business is looking for IT consulting, my business is available to help!
Ok that's my one selfish shameless plug for the day! lol
Quote:
Yes, I too have the fantasy of owning my very own ski empire. I am a civil engineer and I have worked on many large infrastructure projects. Thus, I have a sort of 'bricks and mortar' vision of what I would do with the local ski areas. Look at Blue Knob, Timberline, Hidden Valley and Laurel Mountain. They're all either poorly managed or undercapitalized. Add poor marketing on top of that and you have a weak product. If you look at Snowtime, Inc. I often wonder how they make money running ski resorts in marginal weather conditions without major real estate sales. So it is possible to make money just from skiing. Add onto that, a well planned, environmentally sensitive resort community and I think there is money to be made. To achieve the necessary economies of scale, we buy Blue Knob, Timberline, Hidden Valley and Laurel Mountain. Invest in the skiing and undeveloped land and then market the Pittsburg, Baltimore, DC and Cleveland areas, just like they do for resort real estate near the Delaware and Md beaches.
What do you say, shall we start a partnership. We'll do all this with other peoples money, just like every successful business does.
Ok, so we have an attorney/business guy, an IT expert, and a civil engineer....pretty dynamic partnership! Im in 
Quote:
I honestly believe that is why Wisp is able to be so successful with their resort even though they have a marginal hill to play on. Expansion, creating and integrating REAL ammenitities to it like their steakhouse, amazing lodge, etc. Their focus on advertising SKIING just like Snowtime does. Heck it was in mid-March and I still heard SnowTime advertisements on DC101 saying how Whitetail had over 3-4' of fresh snow on the slopes while the fields, yards, and streets of northern va was bare. Obviously, to us experienced folk, we know that was hyped market on their nightly groomed base. Yet they were marketing themselves as read with open doors to take on a mass escape of snow lovers.
I don't see CV, TLine, HV, LM, and other resorts mentioned focusing on this avenue of advertisement/marketing. Someone else said in the boards last year... that as soon as the temps warm up into the 50's around here, no matter if a 3' blizzard blew through CV, everyone is out playing soccor, softball and ready for summer. These resorts need to jump on the marketing machine from day 1 to closing as if it's been a frosted winter wonderland. Imagine if CV and TLine at least did that this coming year, how much revenue would pick up. 10%? 15%? It'd at least be enough to say "Hey, we now got more than usual amounts of people coming in, lets try to get that new lift or new guns, etc.
Brad did you inquire into 7 Springs lately given the sale?
I thought of putting out a letter to the Nuttings, but (1) i cant find any contact info and (2) I doubt I'd get a response..
