Brewery, Snowcat Development Facility to be Added to Lost Valley
The small Maine ski area has been diversifying its revenue streams.
Tuesday, April 11, 2017, NewEnglandSkiIndustry.com
Less than three years removed from near closure, Lost Valley is continuing to grow with plans to add a brewery and host a Kassbohrer facility. The proposed development is now working its way through the permitting and local zoning amendment process.
Kassbohrer, maker of PistenBully snowcats, has a regional headquarters in the neighboring town of Lewiston. The company is hoping to construct an assembly facility off the Lost Valley access road and would use Lost Valley's trails for testing. Barring any setbacks, the new facility could be operational within the next year or so.
Meanwhile, Lost Valley hopes to open Lost Valley Brewing Company next year, which would be located in the main lodge and would serve its brews on tap.
Located in Auburn, Maine, Lost Valley has been in operation since the 1961-62 season. Co-founder Otto Wallingford used Lost Valley as a place to develop snowmaking and grooming technology, prior to selling his stake in the area in the 1980s.
The area nearly shut down in 2014 due to mounting losses. In the fall of 2015, Aerial NDT Inspection, Inc. President Scott Shanaman purchased Lost Valley and has subsequently stabilized the area. Lost Valley enjoyed its longest operating season in years in 2016-17, closing on April 2.
