Pacific Group Resorts acquires majority stake in Colorado’s Powderhorn Ski Area

PARK CITY, Utah – Park City-based Pacific Group Resorts, announced they have purchased a majority interest in Powderhorn ski area on the Grand Mesa of Colorado near the town of Palisade. The previous owners were Colorado’s Gart family and the ski industry pioneer Andy Daly.

Pacific Group Resorts, Inc. (PRGI), led by chairman Vern Greco—a former executive at Park City, Steamboat, and Purgatory ski resorts—welcomes approximately 1 million skier visits annually. The company owns Jay Peak in Vermont, Mount Washington Alpine Resort in British Columbia and also operates a ski area in New Hampshire.

In 2017, ski area owners the Garts and Daly partnered with Pacific Group Resorts, Inc. (PRGI) to launch the “Mission: Affordable” pass program, cutting season pass prices to $249 to boost skier engagement. By 2018, PRGI took over full management, coinciding with the owners bringing in Denver’s Zoma Capital, led by Ben Walton (grandson of Walmart founder Sam Walton) and his wife, Lucy, as an equity partner to support development efforts.

Zoma Capital has since exited, allowing PRGI to take over operations while the owners oversee development of nearly 800 acres at the ski area’s base, just 30 minutes from Palisade, Colorado. With Mesa County’s population growing by 20,000 in the last 15 years, the region is shifting from an extraction-based economy to one focused on outdoor recreation and technology, according to PRGI CEO Mark Fischer.