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New Blue Knob owners look to expand services

BLUE KNOB — The new owners of Blue Knob All Seasons Resort are committed to the pursuit of a future described by the facility’s name.

“Winter operations are always going to be a core part of our business, but we’re going to be looking for more four-season events,” Pittsburgh-based attorney Eric Mungai said Saturday.

On a dreary rainy day suited for indoor activities, Mungai and fellow investors who purchased the resort earlier this year hosted a meet-and-greet session at the facility’s conference center, attracting 250 resort property owners and season pass holders.

“We’re very pleased to hear about your plans,” Ginny Schaaf of Annapolis, Md., a longtime resort property owner, told Mungai before she departed the reception. “We love coming here.”

In July, it was announced that Sustainable Hospitality & Development LP, a group of Pittsburgh-area investors, had purchased the 1,385-acre resort from the Richard Gauthier family and signed a 29-year lease for the 420-acre portion located inside Blue Knob State Park.

Mungai said he and his fellow investors, all of whom ski, know they’re taking on a big project, but they do so with enthusiasm.

“Every one of us sees the same thing: a diamond in the rough and the potential to be a valuable asset in this community,” Mungai said.

Paul Kraisinger, a dentist from Mount Pleasant, identified himself as one of the investors who is excited about the pursuit.

“This place is the Key West of the North,” Kraisinger said. “It’s such a cool place … and the best kept secret in Pennsylvania.”

Mungai said all the investors are current or former business owners, with different areas of expertise that will be valuable as the property develops. But the group is also leaning on Scott Bender as business adviser.

Bender is a former CEO of Seven Springs Mountain Resort and a board member of the National Ski Areas Association. He helped lead the revival of Hidden Valley, and according to Mungai, doubled the attendance at Hidden Valley.

Bender, during Saturday’s event, tried to downplay that praise. But Bender also acknowledged that he is leading the ongoing effort, along with 25 full-time and part-time staffers, to get the ski area open as soon as weather permits. And once it’s open, Bender said the staff will grow to about 200.

One of the changes people will notice this year, Bender said, is the relocation of the snow-tubing entrance to the area next to the ski lodge.

It’s a change that will make that option much more visible, Mungai said.

Another improvement should be in the snow because the facility bought a new groomer for better trail maintenance.

Efforts are also ongoing to better market the facility, an effort that’s been launched with the creation of a new website and regular Facebook postings. Plans also call for an emailed newsletter to announce and promote events.

“We’re taking a lot of steps to get the word out about this place,” Mungai said.

Plans are also in the works to renovate and reopen the Black Bear Inn, which closed in December after pipes broke. Conceptual drawings of that facility with its upscale restaurant and bar were on display for those attending Saturday’s event.

The renovated structure may be ready to open by the end of May, Mungai said.

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