Two former University of Colorado students just sold their outdoor ski locker system (called SnowGate) to an national locker firm based out of Maryland. There's no word on how much the two entrepreneurs made on the deal, but the sale means that SnowGate's gear storage system could be coming to a ski area near you in the future.
Christian Nitu and Cory Finney were enrolled at Colorado University's Leeds School of Business when they concocted the plan for an outdoor, intelligent locker system designed to prevent equipment theft. At a reasonable cost (around $2 per hour, $6 for overnight storage), the entrepreneurs debuted 71 lockers at Winter Park in February 2013.
Resorts provide space and a wireless Internet connection, while SnowGate handles the rest, sharing revenue with the resort, using an Uber-style app for mobile phones, and providing 24-hour customer service. According to the Denver Post, the kiosks are built by Louisville's Kiosk Information Systems — the same outfit that manufactures Denver's B-cycle stations.
Looking for cash to expand their operations, Nitu and Finney found Best Lockers, a Florida company that installs lockers at water parks, ski resorts, and hotel rooms. After buying SnowGate, Best Lockers plans to keep the name and expand its ski resort presence. Curious as to what an outdoor locker system looks like? Check out the video:
· SnowGate [Official Site]
· CU entrepreneurs sell SnowGate ski locker system to national firm [Denver Post]
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