Lift Blog

Leitner-Poma acquired Skytrac this week in a deal revealed today.  Even more exciting is Skytrac will continue to operate as a subsidiary brand of the Leitner-Poma Group.  “We would like to welcome Skytrac to our family,” said Anton Seeber, CEO of the European parent company of both Leitner and Poma. “Like Leitner-Poma, Skytrac also will be managed autonomously and independently to make sure the Skytrac team can focus on its strengths and hone its skills, all while having access to the Group’s resources to be able to benefit from particular synergies.”  Leitner and Poma have experience operating in Europe as separate brands while sharing technology such as the latest-generation LPA detachable grip.

Jan Leonard and other former CTEC employees started Skytrac in 2010 to fill a niche retrofitting older lifts and building economical fixed-grip lifts in Salt Lake City.  The company has built 19 complete lift systems to date, mostly at small-to-medium sized ski areas from Washington to Massachusetts.  Skytrac had its best year in 2014, building as many new lifts as both Leitner-Poma and Doppelmayr that year.  In addition to building complete lifts, Skytrac also specializes in outfitting older lifts with new terminals and control systems.

Leitner-Poma of America is the North American subsidiary of Poma of France and Leitner of Italy based in Grand Junction, Colorado while Skytrac is privately held and headquartered in Salt Lake City.  Leaders at both companies are excited about the deal and the opportunities it will provide moving forward. “This acquisition will allow Leitner-Poma to better serve ski areas of all sizes,” said Leitner-Poma President Rick Spear. “By purchasing Skytrac, we will continue to care for all existing customers and expand our base.”  Carl Skylling of Skytrac noted, “Skytrac will continue to fill the niche it has established in the market, all while gaining the experience, knowledge and global reach of a group of companies that’s a proven industry leader.”

Rather than a deal simply to eliminate a competitor, this is about expanding Leitner-Poma’s footprint.  A Utah presence will better serve customers in the second largest lift market in the United States (Skytrac has already built more lifts in the state of Utah than Poma did in the last 30 years.)   Skytrac is building the new quad chair at Laurel Mountain, Pennsylvania this summer and Skytrac lifts will continue to be 100-percent American made.

Below are just a few of Skytrac’s completed projects to date:

• Little Beaver at Beaver Mountain, UT
• Alpine and Powder Park at Bridger Bowl, MT
• Chair 6 at Crystal Mountain, WA
• The Tage and Stag’s Leap at The Hermitage Club, VT
• E-Z Rider at Pomerelle, ID
• Jake’s at Sundance, UT
• Rampart at The Summit at Snoqualmie, WA

Update 5/9/16: I interviewed Carl Skylling at Skytrac HQ and asked about the acquisition. Check it out here.