Mountain Creek consolidates into one owner's hands

By Nathan Mayberg
VERNON — Mountain Creek's ownership is consolidating as the Koffman family has bought out its other partners, it was recently announced.

Action Park, which shares Mountain Creek with a ski hill, will re-open for the season on Saturday.

Crystal Springs Resort Real Estate Chief Executive Officer Andrew Mulvihill, whose father Gene built Action Park, said his father's estate was among those who sold their interest in the ski hill and water park to the Koffman family. The other partners were Morty Davis and Bob Bauer.

"We're ecstatic that we were able to do a deal with Jeff (Koffman) and his family," Mulvihill said on Tuesday.

"We wish him well. We're going to be his neighbors."

Mulvihill said the sale will allow him to focus more on the neighboring Crystal Springs Resort. Crystal Springs and Mountain Creek have operated under shared management.

He said the resort, which employs about 1,500 people, has plans to expand, including more commercial and residential development.

Mountain Creek employs "upwards of 2,500 people" in the summer and winter months, Mulvihill said. Most of the workers are part-time, he said.

Mulvihill said his father Gene and Jeff Koffman's father, Buddy, were partners in Great Gorge, a ski hill that eventually became part of Mountain Creek. The ski area will celebrate its 50th anniversary this winter.

"It's a little bittersweet," Mulvihill said. "I grew up working at Action Park as a kid."

Mulvihill is proud of renovations and investments made at Mountain Creek, including a new ski lodge and bringing back the name of Action Park, with new rides and a tubing center. More than $30 million was invested in Mountain Creek since 2010, according to a statement released by Mountain Creek Resort President Bill Benneyan.

Muvihill's family ran Action Park until 1998 when it was sold to Intrawest. The Mulvihill family re-purchased what is known as Mountain Creek and Action Park in 2010 before the most recent transaction.

Terms of the sale were not disclosed.

According to a release by Mountain Creek, the Koffman Family is involved in numerous hospitality ventures including the construction of hotels and resorts in the Caribbean and the United States.

In a statement, Jeff Koffman said “on behalf of the Koffman family I am proud to say we are very excited to be involved again with Mountain Creek. The family owned Great Gorge for a short period of time before merging with Vernon Valley in the 1970s. As a family we have fond memories of skiing and enjoying our winters here. Gene Mulvihill always had ambitious plans for the Valley and we are pleased to have the opportunity to build on that vision to enhance the area as a vibrant recreation destination.”

“This transaction is a bit like graduation," Benneyan said. "We’re very excited about the future and continued growth, and will be leveraging the hard work and insightful lessons gained in the past five years of management with the Crystal Springs team. All of us here are passionate about sharing the fun and experiences found on our mountain with our guests, and about Mountain Creek as a successful business and part of the community. We plan that the next phase of Mountain Creek will evolve to the next level of fruitful maturity as a resort.“