Ep.26 - Part 1 - James Urquhart of Mt Hutt, New Zealand

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How to keep guests (and staff) coming back again and again.

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Imagine a ski area built by its community. Picture the locals of the small farming town of Methven, New Zealand, looking up at the mountain above them when one of their mates says, "I've got a bulldozer... let's push a road up into those alpine bowls. That would be an incredible place to ski." Fast forward more than 50 years, and the grandchildren of that original road builder are still maintaining the same 12-kilometre gravel access road that climbs 1,200 vertical metres to the ski area. That's the kind of community spirit and family culture that launched Mt Hutt—a mountain that's still part of a family-owned ski business today.

This week, we're heading to New Zealand to chat with James Urquhart, General Manager of Operations at Mt Hutt. With more than three decades on the mountain, James shares the leadership philosophy and operational decisions that have transformed Mt Hutt into one of the Southern Hemisphere's premier ski destinations.

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In this episode, you'll discover why lowering food prices can actually increase revenue, how investing in infrastructure dramatically reduced weather closures, why beginners and intermediates are the biggest opportunity for sustainable growth, and how a family-first culture has created remarkable staff loyalty and long-term success.
 

So grab a Speight's, and let's chat with James Urquhart of Mt Hutt.