The ownership at the longest standing ski lift operator in the Southern Hemisphere has changed hands for the first time in 47 years.
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The sale of Ben Lomond ski lift operator Alpine Enterprises was completed over the weekend after being on the market since 2019.
The business had been run by Eryl Williams and Kate Williams as a family-owned business for over four decades but will now be run by a group including Stewart Hosken and Ben Mock.
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Back in 2019, the business was offered at a price tag of $1.75 million.
Mr Williams was well-known on the ski slopes as "Papa Snow" before he passed away in 2014.
"It's an honour to have the reigns handed over from such an iconic and long-standing family business," Mr Hosken said.
"We are excited to be the next generation up at Ben Lomond and we look forward to offering visitors to Ben Lomond a great experience this winter and in the years to come."
The sale comes on the back of strong demand for alpine real estate across the country.
"If COVID has been good to property at large, and if it was good for regional property I can tell you right now it was even better for alpine property," Castran Alpine managing director John Castran said.
"I've never seen anything like it in my forty years."
Mr Castran, who helped negotiate the deal, described the deal as "complex" due to the mitigating factors including the licence.
"Finding the right suitor and finding the right suitor that was acceptable to [Parks and Wildlife] was going to take time to coordinate, it was never going to be easy," he said.
"You had to find a prospective purchaser that believed in Ben Lomond and was a parochial passion for Tasmania.
"Luckily in Stewart Hosken and Ben Mock we found that ... because they have a vision to spend additional money."
Mr Hosken was enthused by the possibilities that Ben Lomond offers from a business perspective.
"It is a unique Tasmanian mountain village setting and experience, with the snowfield being only one hour from Launceston and the airport. Most visitors to the state do not know that you can ski in Tasmania," he said.
"We look forward to working with the various Mountain operators, stakeholders, visitors, the Parks and Wildlife Service managers, and the government to contribute to great recreation and tourism experiences."
The sale of Alpine Enterprises was contingent on the new owners being able to showcase a "vision" for Ben Lomond going forward.
During the state election, the Liberal party promised $2.8 million to help develop Ben Lomond as a year round destination.
Mr Castran said there was major potential in the site during the summer months in the future.
"I think summer will make more money than winter because it is absolutely drop dead gorgeous from a landscape point of view," he said.
"It is so accessible from Launceston and it is very easy to get too."
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