SAM Magazine--Salt Lake City, Utah, January 25, 2005--The lift supplier field just got smaller as Doppelmayr CTEC announced its acquisition of certain assets of Partek Ski Lifts, effective January 22, 2005. The acquisition includes the design and manufacturing rights of Partek lift systems, as well as Partek's rights to the older Borvig lift systems. Specifically excluded are Partek's proprietary spare parts and service business for existing Partek and Borvig Lifts.

Partek president, Hagen Schulz, will set up shop as Ski Lift Parts, Inc. and will also join the Doppelmayr CTEC team as a sales consultant.

Schulz said of the deal, "It was becoming economically challenging to manufacture and sell new lifts without a complete product line which would have included developing a detachable grip lift..The cost to develop a detachable product would have imposed a significant financial risk to Partek when the ski lift market has little opportunity for growth. The high cost of liability insurance made doing business producing new lifts additionally prohibitive."