The purchase includes the ski area operation including lifts and base lodge as well as 750 acres on which the resort is situated.  

While the purchase does not include Burke Mountain Academy or any of its land or infrastructure, it does secure the future of the venerable institution.  The Ginn Company will establish an endowment for the academy and ensure that training slopes are well maintained.   

Renovations to the ski area have been ongoing through Burke 2000 in preparation for the opening of ski season.  The Ginn Company anticipates that all renovations will be completed in time for a Dec. 10 opening.  

�We are thrilled with the acquisition of Burke Mountain,� said Bobby Ginn, president and CEO of The Ginn Company.  �We share the community�s pride in this pristine area and appreciate the nearly 50 years that Burke Mountain has served skiers from around the world.�

Formed in 2002, Ginn Clubs & Resorts is responsible for operating the company's Resort and private golf Club communities.  Ginn Clubs & Resorts consists of three divisions: Ginn Resort Management, Ginn Club Management and Ginn Property Management.  Ginn Resort Management oversees the company's Resort operations.  Ginn Club Management is a for-fee manager of the company's private Club communities. Ginn Property Management is a for fee manager of homeowners associations, property owners associations and Community Development Districts within the company's Resort and private Club communities.

Capital improvements at Burke include a complete overhaul of the Sherburne Base Lodge

The new restaurant concept in its Sherburne Base Lodge is described as a �modern American bistro offering contemporary regional cuisine�. The Tamarack Grill will open to the public on December 14th.

�We�re going to serve fresh, nicely seasoned food in healthy portions at affordable prices,� says executive chef, Steve Grimes. Grimes went on to explain that to the greatest extent possible, he will use local food products in his meals. �Beyond the borders of Vermont, it�s well known that wholesome, excellent food products � from meats to vegetables to cheeses to specialty organic products -- come out of Vermont. This is an exciting opportunity for me to be so close to the source of exceptional food products.�

The Tamarack Grill will indeed emphasize a local flavor. The name itself draws inspiration from a tree that captures the essence of northern Vermont. Located on the third floor of the Sherburne Base Lodge, the adjacent pub will offer an extensive variety of distinctive Vermont brews on tap, including its own ale, Bear Den Ale, brewed by the Trout River Brewing Company, of Lyndonville. The restaurant will offer one of the Northeast Kingdom�s most extensive wine lists. It�s a wine list that Grimes describes as �� fun, but approachable��. Additionally, the pub at the Tamarack Grill will serve vodka from Vermont Spirits, of Passumpsic, Vermont.

Prior to joining Burke Mountain, Mr. Grimes, a native of New Newland, was executive sous chef at the four star, four diamond Palm Coast, FL resort, Hammock Beach Resort. Prior to arriving at the Hammock Beach Resort, Mr. Grimes served as chef de cuisine at Bistro AIX, in Jacksonville, where all food was handmade, with a Mediterranean flare. During Mr. Grime�s tenure, Bistro AIX was named the �Best Restaurant of Jacksonville� four years in a row. Mr. Grimes also served as a chef in the renowned Jacksonville hotel, Julliet�s, the first in Florida to win the prestigious Governor Sterling Award for Quality. While working for the Omni Corporation, Mr. Grimes was a chef at the CNN Center, in Atlanta, preparing food during the Summer Olympics. �I served the Dream Team breakfast, lunch and dinner for a month�, says Grimes, in reference to the 1996 US Olympic Basketball Team. Says Grimes of what inspired him to become a chef, �Growing up with a grandmother who was herself an excellent chef, great food was elemental to great times. I enjoy sharing my love of great food when I prepare meals for my guests.�

Mr. Grime�s arrival is an excellent compliment to local chef, Chris Willy, of East Burke and a graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, in Hyde Park, NY, who will continue to oversee all food and beverage operations in the cafeterias in the Sherburne Base and Mid-Burke Base Lodges, and at the Bear Den Lounge, in the Mid-Burke Lodge. Both chefs have extensive experience with special events, so they will together co-manage weddings and banquet functions. �The combination of Chris Willy and Steve Grimes gives Burke Mountain an unparalleled level of culinary expertise as we endeavor to offer the best restaurant and special event services in our region,� commented Joe Kasprzak, Vice President of Services at the ski area.

Ryan Julison
  Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications
  The Ginn Company
321.939.4705
[email protected]