ChrisC
Well-known member
Thought this was an interesting post on Snowheads
Here
However, a Vail acquisition of Verbier seems possible if you only had to deal with one family. Vail acquiring majority ownership of Verbier would be on par with acquiring Whistler/Blackcomb. And quite the combination with Crans Montana across the valley. You could heavily promote this.
One of the best intermediate mountains in Switzerland (Crans) and the best expert mountain in Switzerland (if not the planet), Verbier.
The possible takeover of Téléverbier SA by Vail Resorts
The facts
Last December, Vail Resorts announced the acquisition of the Crans-
Montana ski lifts. This transaction followed the takeover of 55% of the company operating the Andermatt-Sedrun
Andermatt-Sedrun in the summer of 2022.
Vail Resorts is also very likely to be interested in taking control of Téléverbier.
Their commercial strategy is to offer a 'multi-resort' annual pass, like the Magic Pass.
like the Magic Pass.
As for Téléverbier, the Burrus family is the main shareholder, holding between 40% and 55% of the capital.
of the capital. It is likely that they will also want to sell their shareholding in the short to medium term.
medium term.
The timing of such a takeover of TVSA by Vail Resorts could happen at very short notice.
two representatives of the Burrus family, together with Jean-Albert Ferrez, Chairman of the
Board of Directors, and Laurent Vaucher, CEO, have just spent a week in Vail.
Vail in January 2024.
If TVSA were to be taken over by Vail Resorts, it would be for the long term.
ownership of TVSA by Vail could last for decades. So the stakes are high!
For or against
The question now is whether such a takeover of Téléverbier by an American group is
appropriate. One advantage is certainly that Vail Resorts is the world's largest ski lift operator.
operator of ski lifts in the world, with 41 resorts to its name, mainly in the
United States. It is therefore a true industry professional. On the other hand, like any professionally run company
professionally managed company, Vail Resorts aims to maximise its profits;
in particular by bringing as many skiers as possible to the ski area and by pushing far
diversification, for example by operating a large number of restaurants, sports shops and a
sports shops and a ski school.
Téléverbier is the backbone of Verbier's tourism offering, and both the resort and the municipality depend on tourism for their livelihood.
and the municipality depend on tourism for their livelihood. In these circumstances, is it wise to entrust a foreign company with
pursuing its own objectives, the task of exploiting what has made the resort so successful and renowned?
reputation of the resort? Is there not a risk that sooner or later there will be conflicts of interest
between the ski lift operator on the one hand, and the municipality and its residents,
and secondary residents?
Estimated purchase price of Téléverbier SA
Vail Resorts bought the Crans Montana ski lift company for almost 9 x
the anticipated EBITDA in 5 years. Vail Resorts now has a market capitalisation of CHF
7.4 billion, compared with EBITDA of CHF 725 million in the 2022-23 financial year, i.e. a multiple
of 10. By way of comparison, Téléverbier's capitalisation is CHF 64 million and EBITDA
in the 2021-2022 financial year of CHF 21.7 million, excluding state aid due to covid; hence a
multiple of nearly 3x. With a valuation multiple more than three times that of Téléverbier
than Téléverbier's, Vail Resorts should be prepared to offer up to 3x Téléverbier's current market value.
Téléverbier, i.e. an amount of almost CHF 200 million.
Future ownership of Téléverbier
Perhaps Christian Burrus and his family will have the courtesy to request an offer from the municipality
once Vail Resorts has submitted its offer. As a first step, the municipality could
acquire this package of shares and, at the same time, launch a regulatory takeover bid. At
25.86% of the shares already held by the commune and the bourgeoisie, Val de Bagnes should therefore
Val de Bagnes to raise around CHF 150 million. The Commune has the means to carry out
such an operation. However, it will only do so if it has the assurance of being able to
resell all, or a large proportion, of the shares acquired to private individuals.
To this end, it is now necessary to find residents willing to invest in the purchase of Téléverbier shares.
Téléverbier shares. Given the value of the resort's real estate holdings, estimated at CHF 10 to 12 billion, this should be a gamble worth taking. We therefore imagine that residents, in particular
second homes worth several million, might be prepared to invest a sum of
willing to invest CHF 1 to 3 million for emotional reasons, but also because of their attachment to Verbier,
attachment to Verbier and, at the same time, to protect the value of their property.
property assets. In spirit, such an investment is more akin to patronage than to
a financial investment designed to provide a return.
Process
Some of us believe that Téléverbier SA should remain in "local hands". And
first, we are trying to identify residents who are interested in participating in such a rescue.
rescue. Our primary goal is to raise the sum of CHF 150 million with the help of a hundred or so people.
hundred people. Once we've identified a circle of potential investors, we'll then need to define a modus operandi.
then define a modus operandi with the municipality and, at the same time, prepare a shareholders' agreement.
shareholder agreement. Time is of the essence!
Here
However, a Vail acquisition of Verbier seems possible if you only had to deal with one family. Vail acquiring majority ownership of Verbier would be on par with acquiring Whistler/Blackcomb. And quite the combination with Crans Montana across the valley. You could heavily promote this.
One of the best intermediate mountains in Switzerland (Crans) and the best expert mountain in Switzerland (if not the planet), Verbier.
The possible takeover of Téléverbier SA by Vail Resorts
The facts
Last December, Vail Resorts announced the acquisition of the Crans-
Montana ski lifts. This transaction followed the takeover of 55% of the company operating the Andermatt-Sedrun
Andermatt-Sedrun in the summer of 2022.
Vail Resorts is also very likely to be interested in taking control of Téléverbier.
Their commercial strategy is to offer a 'multi-resort' annual pass, like the Magic Pass.
like the Magic Pass.
As for Téléverbier, the Burrus family is the main shareholder, holding between 40% and 55% of the capital.
of the capital. It is likely that they will also want to sell their shareholding in the short to medium term.
medium term.
The timing of such a takeover of TVSA by Vail Resorts could happen at very short notice.
two representatives of the Burrus family, together with Jean-Albert Ferrez, Chairman of the
Board of Directors, and Laurent Vaucher, CEO, have just spent a week in Vail.
Vail in January 2024.
If TVSA were to be taken over by Vail Resorts, it would be for the long term.
ownership of TVSA by Vail could last for decades. So the stakes are high!
For or against
The question now is whether such a takeover of Téléverbier by an American group is
appropriate. One advantage is certainly that Vail Resorts is the world's largest ski lift operator.
operator of ski lifts in the world, with 41 resorts to its name, mainly in the
United States. It is therefore a true industry professional. On the other hand, like any professionally run company
professionally managed company, Vail Resorts aims to maximise its profits;
in particular by bringing as many skiers as possible to the ski area and by pushing far
diversification, for example by operating a large number of restaurants, sports shops and a
sports shops and a ski school.
Téléverbier is the backbone of Verbier's tourism offering, and both the resort and the municipality depend on tourism for their livelihood.
and the municipality depend on tourism for their livelihood. In these circumstances, is it wise to entrust a foreign company with
pursuing its own objectives, the task of exploiting what has made the resort so successful and renowned?
reputation of the resort? Is there not a risk that sooner or later there will be conflicts of interest
between the ski lift operator on the one hand, and the municipality and its residents,
and secondary residents?
Estimated purchase price of Téléverbier SA
Vail Resorts bought the Crans Montana ski lift company for almost 9 x
the anticipated EBITDA in 5 years. Vail Resorts now has a market capitalisation of CHF
7.4 billion, compared with EBITDA of CHF 725 million in the 2022-23 financial year, i.e. a multiple
of 10. By way of comparison, Téléverbier's capitalisation is CHF 64 million and EBITDA
in the 2021-2022 financial year of CHF 21.7 million, excluding state aid due to covid; hence a
multiple of nearly 3x. With a valuation multiple more than three times that of Téléverbier
than Téléverbier's, Vail Resorts should be prepared to offer up to 3x Téléverbier's current market value.
Téléverbier, i.e. an amount of almost CHF 200 million.
Future ownership of Téléverbier
Perhaps Christian Burrus and his family will have the courtesy to request an offer from the municipality
once Vail Resorts has submitted its offer. As a first step, the municipality could
acquire this package of shares and, at the same time, launch a regulatory takeover bid. At
25.86% of the shares already held by the commune and the bourgeoisie, Val de Bagnes should therefore
Val de Bagnes to raise around CHF 150 million. The Commune has the means to carry out
such an operation. However, it will only do so if it has the assurance of being able to
resell all, or a large proportion, of the shares acquired to private individuals.
To this end, it is now necessary to find residents willing to invest in the purchase of Téléverbier shares.
Téléverbier shares. Given the value of the resort's real estate holdings, estimated at CHF 10 to 12 billion, this should be a gamble worth taking. We therefore imagine that residents, in particular
second homes worth several million, might be prepared to invest a sum of
willing to invest CHF 1 to 3 million for emotional reasons, but also because of their attachment to Verbier,
attachment to Verbier and, at the same time, to protect the value of their property.
property assets. In spirit, such an investment is more akin to patronage than to
a financial investment designed to provide a return.
Process
Some of us believe that Téléverbier SA should remain in "local hands". And
first, we are trying to identify residents who are interested in participating in such a rescue.
rescue. Our primary goal is to raise the sum of CHF 150 million with the help of a hundred or so people.
hundred people. Once we've identified a circle of potential investors, we'll then need to define a modus operandi.
then define a modus operandi with the municipality and, at the same time, prepare a shareholders' agreement.
shareholder agreement. Time is of the essence!
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