SAM Magazine--Ludlow, Vt., March 2, 2004--As of March 1, Tim and Diane Mueller are the proud owners of Crested Butte Ski Resort in Colorado. The Muellers, who own Okemo, Vt., and run Mount Sunapee, N.H., purchased the resort from the Callaway and Walton families for an undisclosed amount, though speculation puts the figure at about $50 million.

The Muellers have created dramatic increases in skier visits at both Okemo and Sunapee and hope to do the same at Crested Butte. Current skier visits are just over 340,000, down from its peak at over 550,000 in the 1990s at the 1,058-acre resort.

Tim Mueller says this about future plans for the resort: "We intent to build upon the attributes of the mountain with a Master Plan of improvements that will take place over time and will be in keeping with responsible, planned growth and development that remains consistent with out standards of environmental responsibility and commitment."