preview

Andy Wirth Case

Satisfactory Essays

Andy Wirth Speaks to Madeleine Brand of KCRW on the Recent Drought Phenomenon Andy Wirth recently spoke to Madeleine Brand of the California based KCRW about the effects of drought on California ski resorts. Andy is a prominent personality in the resort industry; he is currently the President and CEO of Squaw Valley Ski Holdings. In the interview held on July 30, 2015, Madeleine began by pointing that drought had forced Californians to cut back on water usage by 27% compared to 2-years ago and placed scarcity of water as the number one concern in the minds of many in the state. Andy Wirth told Madeleine that his resorts remained profitable and resilient in spite of 20% drop in visitor numbers due to the devastating effects of what Stanford meteorologist call the “”ridiculously resilient ridge”. The occurrence, according to Andy prevented the pressure system from forming over the mountains, causing a reduction in the amount of precipitation that brings snow. Andy also affirmed that the mountain resorts under his watch were more than capable of withstanding bad weather because some 4000 acres of skiing surface out of the possible 6,000 acres were still in play. Some of the strategies Andy has proposed to keep the business viable include using modern techniques to manage snow and making more snow using science. The …show more content…

Madeleine also asked Andy about the future of his resort business and Andy promptly answered by affirming that his businesses have embraced the Stanford meteorological findings about the increase volatility of weather. In the final analysis, Andy vouches for an adjusted mountain resort and hotel industry business model that will lead to increased use of green energy and thereafter low carbon imprint. Andy told Madeleine that his grasp of various weather aspects stems from his years working as a fire ranger in New

Get Access