Vail Resorts set to acquire Peak Resorts and its 17 U.S. ski areas

Colorado-based Vail Resorts on Monday announced it has entered into a deal to acquire Peak Resorts — a company that owns 17 small U.S. ski areas near major metropolitan areas in the eastern and midwestern United States.

Here’s Monday’s press release from Vail Resorts:

BROOMFIELD, Colo., July 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN) today announced it has entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire 100 percent of the outstanding stock of Peak Resorts, Inc. (NASDAQ: SKIS) at a purchase price of $11.00 per share, subject to certain conditions, including regulatory review and Peak Resorts’shareholder approval.

Through the acquisition, Vail Resorts will add 17 U.S. ski areas to its network of world-class resorts. Located near major metropolitan areas, including New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Columbus, St. Louis, Kansas City and Louisville, the resorts include:

• Mount Snow in Vermont
• Hunter Mountain in New York
• Attitash Mountain Resort, Wildcat Mountain and Crotched Mountain in New Hampshire
• Liberty Mountain Resort, Roundtop Mountain Resort, Whitetail Resort, Jack Frost and Big Boulder in Pennsylvania
• Alpine Valley, Boston Mills, Brandywine and Mad River Mountain in Ohio
• Hidden Valley and Snow Creek in Missouri
• Paoli Peaks in Indiana

“We are incredibly excited to have the opportunity to add such a powerful network of ski areas to our Company,” said Rob Katz, chairman and chief executive officer of Vail Resorts. “Peak Resorts’ ski areas in the Northeast are a perfect complement to our existing resorts and together will provide a very compelling offering to our guests in New York and Boston. With this acquisition, we are also able to make a much stronger connection to guests in critical cities in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest and build on the success we have already seen with our strategy in Chicago, Minneapolis and Detroit. The acquisition fully embodies our philosophy of Epic for Everyone, making skiing and riding more accessible to guests across the U.S. and around the world.”

“The ski areas within the Peak Resorts portfolio exemplify the spirit of our sport as well as our Company’s mission to provide an Experience of a Lifetime to guests,” Katz continued. “We’re thrilled to welcome the resorts and their employees into the Vail Resorts family and invest in their continued success.”

“Vail Resorts has a proven track record of celebrating the unique identity of its resorts, while continually investing in the guest and employee experience. For this reason, we are confident that our resorts and employees will continue to thrive within the Vail Resortsnetwork,” said Timothy Boyd, president and chief executive officer of Peak Resorts. “We are very proud of our track record over the last two decades in building the breadth, quality and accessibility of our resorts. We are thrilled that our guests will now have access to some of the world’s most renowned resorts.”

When the transaction closes, the 2019-20 Epic Pass, Epic Local Pass and Military Epic Pass will include unlimited and unrestricted access to the 17 Peak Resorts ski areas. Guests with an Epic Day Pass will also be able to access the new ski areas as a part of the total number of days purchased. For the 2019-20 season, Vail Resorts will honor and continue to sell all Peak Resorts pass products, and Peak Resorts’ pass holders will have the option to upgrade to an Epic Pass or Epic Local Pass, following closing of the transaction.

Additional Transaction Details 
The aggregate purchase price for all Peak Resorts common stock is estimated to be approximately $264 million (calculated on a treasury method basis), which Vail Resortsintends to finance through a combination of cash on hand, its existing revolver facility and an expansion of its existing credit facility. In addition, Vail Resorts will be assuming or refinancing Peak Resorts’ outstanding debt.

The acquisition is expected to generate incremental annual EBITDA of approximately $60 million in Vail Resorts’ fiscal year ending July 31, 2021, the first fiscal year with the full benefit of the synergies of the acquisition, with additional revenue upside in future years.  Synergies are expected to come from additional revenue across the Vail Resorts network of resorts and cost reductions from the elimination of certain duplicative administrative functions and greater efficiencies brought by Vail Resorts’ size and scale. Vail Resorts’annual ongoing capital expenditures are expected to increase by $10 million to support the addition of the Peak Resorts ski areas. After closing of the transaction, Vail Resorts plans to invest approximately $15 million over the next two years in one-time capital spending to elevate the guest experience at these resorts. 

The transaction was approved by both companies’ Boards of Directors, and the Peak Resorts Board of Directors also recommends that Peak Resorts’ shareholders approve the transaction.

The transaction is expected to close this fall. The parties expect operations at all Peak Resorts ski areas to continue in the ordinary course of business. Upon closing, Vail Resortsplans to retain the vast majority of each resort’s employees.

Pass Access Details

Vail Resorts currently offers the following access and benefits for 2019-20 Epic Pass, Epic Local Pass, Military Epic Pass and Epic Day Pass holders.  Access to the 17 Peak Resorts ski areas is subject to closing of the transaction: 

• Epic Pass™: For $939 for adults and $489 for children (ages five to 12), the Epic Pass offers the following access and benefits:
  • Unlimited, unrestricted access to: Whistler Blackcomb, Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Crested Butte, Park City, Heavenly, Northstar, Kirkwood, Stowe, Okemo, Mount Snow, Mount Sunapee, Attitash, Wildcat, Crotched, Hunter, Liberty, Roundtop, Whitetail, Jack Frost, Big Boulder, Stevens Pass, Alpine Valley, Boston Mills, Brandywine, Mad River, Hidden Valley, Snow Creek, Paoli Peaks, Afton Alps, Mt. Brighton, and Wilmot in North America. The Epic Pass also includes access to Perisher, Falls Creek, and Hotham in Australia.
  • Limited access to partner resorts, including: seven days at each of Telluride, Sun Valley, Snowbasin, and the Resorts of the Canadian Rockies; five consecutive days at Hakuba Valley, Japan’s ten ski resorts; five consecutive days at Japan’sRusutsu Resort. The Epic Pass also grants limited access to Les 3 Vallées in France; 4 Vallées in Switzerland; and Skirama Dolomiti in Italy.
  • Discounted Tickets: Six “Ski With A Friend” discounted tickets.
• Epic Local Pass™:For $699 for adults, $569 for teens (ages 13 to 18) and $369for children (ages five to 12), the Epic Local Pass offers the following access and benefits:
  • Unlimited, unrestricted access to: Breckenridge, Keystone, Crested Butte, Okemo, Mount Snow, Mount Sunapee, Attitash, Wildcat, Crotched, Hunter, Liberty, Roundtop, Whitetail, Jack Frost, Big Boulder, Stevens Pass, Alpine Valley, Boston Mills, Brandywine, Mad River, Hidden Valley, Snow Creek, Paoli Peaks, Afton Alps, Mt. Brighton, and Wilmot.
  • Unlimited access with holiday restrictions to: Park City, Heavenly, Northstar, Kirkwood, and Stowe.
  • 10 total days combined (with holiday restrictions) at: Vail, Beaver Creek, and Whistler Blackcomb.
  • Limited access to partner resorts, including: two days (with limited holiday restrictions) at Sun Valley; two days (with limited holiday restrictions) at Snowbasin; and five total consecutive days with no blackout dates at Hakuba Valley’s ten ski resorts in Japan; and five total consecutive days with no blackout dates at Rusutsu Resort.
  • Discounted Tickets: Six “Ski With A Friend” discounted tickets.
• Military Epic Pass™:For $129 for Active and Retired Military and their dependents and $529 for Veteran Military and their dependents, the Military Epic Pass offers the following access:
  • Unlimited, unrestricted access to: Whistler Blackcomb, Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Crested Butte, Park City, Heavenly, Northstar, Kirkwood, Stowe, Okemo, Mount Snow, Mount Sunapee, Attitash, Wildcat, Crotched, Hunter, Liberty, Roundtop, Whitetail, Jack Frost, Big Boulder, Stevens Pass, Alpine Valley, Boston Mills, Brandywine, Mad River, Hidden Valley, Snow Creek, Paoli Peaks, Afton Alps, Mt. Brighton, and Wilmot in North America. The Military Epic Pass also includes access to Perisher, Falls Creek, and Hotham in Australia.
• Epic Day Pass: Announced earlier this year as a part of Epic for Everyone, the Epic Day Pass provides unprecedented flexibility and season pass discounts to guests skiing as little as one day.
  • With the customizable pass, guests can unlock discounts of up to 50 percent off lift ticket window prices by selecting the number of days they plan to ski or ride – from one day to seven days – and whether or not to add holiday access.
  • Guests can use the pass at any of the Company’s North American owned resorts, including Whistler Blackcomb, Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Crested Butte, Park City, and more. Those purchasing four or more days will also get access to Telluride, Sun Valley, Snowbasin, and Resorts of the Canadian Rockies as a part of the total number of days purchased. The Epic Day Pass will also provide access to the 17 new resorts, subject to close of the transaction.