President Brian Fairbank says Jiminy Peak has diversified its summer operations to become a year-round resort and decrease dependency on winter weather.

There are many options to choose from when picking a resort destination, and that's why Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort wants to create a positive impression from the minute guests pull into the property, says President Brian Fairbank. Located in Massachusetts' Berkshire County, the resort has set itself apart from other destinations, he notes.

Fairbank says Jiminy Peak makes sure the visual senses are pleased, from the parking lot to landscaping and color schemes. "We're a medium-sized resort trying to blend with the environment as best we can. It's a beautiful New England resort, and we've set ourselves apart by becoming a year-round mountain property. We've worked hard at that for 25-plus years.

"We work to implement Goshen stone into the new buildings because that stone is indigenous to this area. We've put cedar shakes on the roofs of our Village Center. It's our attention to detail that sets us apart," he adds.

In addition to making sure the resort fits aesthetically with the environment, it is also working to preserve natural resources, Fairbank says. Jiminy Peak operates its own water and sewer systems. In addition to using gravity to help feed the snowmaking systems and implementing low-flow restrooms and showers, the company recently installed waterless urinals, which will save 40,000 gallons of water per year, he says.

Jiminy Peak is in the process of installing the first wind turbine on a ski mountain in North America. The turbine, which will generate enough power for 766 houses, will primarily be used to operate the snowmaking system and the Country Inn hotel during the winter. The resort will use half the power generated by the turbine and the rest will go out into the grid.

"It's a big investment, but it's beneficial to us and to society," Fairbank says. "One of our state representatives said it best when we announced the project: We're thinking globally but acting locally." The $4 million turbine is 375 feet tall and weighs 200 tons. It will be operational in the summer of 2007.

Friendly and Helpful
To ensure a positive experience for guests, the company conducts a variety of surveys. Jiminy Peak strives for its staff to follow two guidelines: friendly and helpful service, and a meticulously maintained facility, Fairbank says. "I recently heard those words echoed by the new CEO of Six Flags," he says. You need to make that the mantra. It's not easy, but don't give up. Both of those guidelines tie into a positive guest experience. If there's a problem, we want the staff to find a way to solve it."

Fairbank says Jiminy Peak's management staff instills those philosophies through training and reinforces them with their own actions. The company then conducts personal evaluations based on those behaviors.

"We're going to be implementing new surveys this winter that will allow management to have a direct response to specific employees," Fairbank says.

Diversified Operations
Fairbank says Jiminy Peak has diversified its summer operations to become a year-round resort and decrease dependency on winter weather.

"Thirty years ago, we installed an Alpine Slide," he says. "Since that time, we have added features, including a giant swing, Euro Bungy, extensive mountain biking trails and the newest attraction - the Mountain Coaster - to create a "mountain adventure experience." Overall, the company has invested $2 million in this effort.

"We host weddings in the summer. Next year, we'll do 25 to 30 weddings," he says. "It's a beautiful facility for weddings. We also host small conferences and meetings." In 2005, Jiminy Peak's resort operations brought in $18 million in revenues, new real estate sales accounted for $10 million and the company did $3 million in summer revenues.

Fairbank says he'd like to see summer business double so the company will be even less reliant on winter weather.