Snowcentres and SnowWorld join forces to create Europe’s leading indoor ski operator

Rothschild & Co's UK mid-market team, Arrowpoint Advisory, has advised Snowcentres, the leading indoor snowsports operator in the UK, on its merger with SnowWorld, Europe’s leading operator of indoor ski resorts, creating the undisputed European champion in year-round indoor skiing, snowboarding, and winter sport lifestyle.

Snowcentres is the leading indoor snow sports group in the UK, providing premium skiing and snowboarding facilities, training programmes, food and beverage, and retail experiences across its two centres in Hemel Hempstead and Manchester.

SnowWorld, owned by the Belgium family office Alychlo, is Europe’s market leader in indoor winter sports, operating facilities in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and France. With millions of annual visitors, SnowWorld offers unique year-round access to real snow experiences.

The two companies will combine their strengths to shape the future of indoor snow sport activities. The new group will operate 12 sites across five countries (Netherlands, UK, Germany, Belgium, and France), employing over 1,000 full time team members, establishing the largest ski school in the world and welcoming over 4.5 million visitors annually.

Ian Brown, Managing Director at Snowcentres, commented: “We are thrilled to be joining forces with a partner that shares our values and our commitment to quality. This combination will give us the scale, expertise and resources to further develop our destinations and continue delivering memorable experiences to millions of visitors each year.”

Richard Cook, Snowcentres Chairman, added “We have known Rothschild & Co for many years, and their deep sector knowledge and unparalleled transaction experience made them a natural choice to help us navigate through the complexities of a cross-border merger – their hands-on approach, commitment and strategic advice was invaluable throughout the transaction. We are delighted with the result and look forward to further collaboration in the future.”

Jamie Hutton, Managing Director at Arrowpoint Advisory, concluded: “We are delighted to have supported Richard, Ian, and the wider Snowcentres stakeholders on this transformational merger, bringing together the expertise, vision and passion of two highly successful family offices into an equal partnership. The combined business is a clear market-leading pan-European leisure platform with significant growth potential, and we look forward to seeing continued value creation moving forwards.”

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