On Friday I reported Bluewood’s used removable quad set up could be delayed till subsequent yr as a result of a dispute with the raise’s dealer, now revealed as Steelhead Techniques Inc. (SSI) of British Columbia. Each events launched statements right now and I obtained a replica of the lawsuit, filed by Bluewood’s house owners on August eleventh. The grievance alleges Steelhead Techniques, along with sister transport firm Mar Divinia Ltd. of Alberta and their principal, Zrinko Amerl, engaged in “breach of contract, negligent misrepresentation, and unjust enrichment” involving the sale of the used chairlift from Austria. Steelhead Techniques counters “we strongly deny the allegations of dishonesty and dangerous religion made in WGSKI’s press launch,” contending it continued transport components to Washington as disputes arose over invoices. Barring a settlement, the case will play out within the Supreme Court docket of British Columbia in Vancouver.
The events signed to relocate the raise on June seventh, 2024 and introduced it to the general public two weeks later. Bluewood would pay €1.38 million for the used Doppelmayr removable quad with bubbles, US$600,000 for transport, US$88,000 for “optimization engineering” and a worth “decided earlier than transport” for “engineering, loading, bullwheel cradles, containers and different changes.” All tools was to be delivered by July fifteenth, 2025 so Bluewood may full set up and open the raise to the general public for the 2025-26 season. It could develop into Bluewood’s first removable raise, decreasing base-to-summit journey time from 12 minutes to lower than six.
Bluewood’s dad or mum firm, WGSKI, LLC, says it paid invoices totalling $2.2 million plus further bills billed together with web site go to, doc scanning and building consulting. The dispute facilities on additional invoices despatched starting in late Might 2025. Over time the US greenback weakened in relation to the Euro, leading to SSI invoicing Bluewood $110,400 for an alternate price adjustment. Second, transport prices elevated by $425,700 on prime of the $600,000 estimate – a rise of greater than 70 p.c. In its grievance, Bluewood’s legal professional calls these quantities “inflated and unjustifiable.” On June 18th, Bluewood proposed taking on transport itself if SSI agreed to refund the $600,000 already paid for transport. Bluewood additionally alleged Steelhead had not carried out optimization engineering it paid for. On July third, Bluewood alleges Steelhead generated one other bill for a sixteenth tower at a price of $30,208. These invoices weren’t paid because the dispute escalated.
Bluewood contends it has paid in full for the raise. As of final month, 23 out of 27 containers had been delivered, representing roughly 90 p.c of the raise. “SSI has failed or refused to offer related particulars concerning the standing of what has been shipped and when or how it is going to be delivered to WGSKI at Bluewood,” WGSKI alleges. A 3rd potebtial complication, not a part of the lawsuit, is new tariffs on items imported to the USA from the European Union introduced after the contract was signed. I’m instructed Bluewood is accountable for any tariffs because the importer of the raise, one other hiccup on prime of alternate charges and transport prices.
Bluewood says it has endured quite a few prices together with misplaced income, misplaced alternative, misplaced market share and curiosity expense on account of delaying the undertaking by a yr. It’s looking for fast supply of remaining tools plus damages. “Substitutes for the Tools aren’t available on the open market and WGSKI stands to undergo irreparable hurt if the Tools will not be delivered promptly,” the swimsuit notes. Bluewood additionally seeks to carry Amerl personally responsible for alleged contract breaches, calling Steelhead Techniques “a sham company that’s merely an alter ego for Mr. Amerl and which he makes use of to guard himself from private legal responsibility for his wrongful and dishonest conduct.”
Steelhead Techniques focuses on relocating used lifts from Europe to the USA and Canada in partnership with Professional-Alpin Ropeway Companies of Austria. Earlier than founding SSI, Amerl as soon as purchased Fortress Mountain, Alberta from Resorts of the Canadian Rockies and tried reviving the Drumheller Valley Ski Hill. Each mountains have since closed. Amerl pivoted and his firms efficiently relocated a bubble quad chair from Austria to Mission Ridge, Washington in 2020. Amerl contends his enterprise permits small ski areas like Mission Ridge to entry prime quality, used tools at a fraction of the price of shopping for new.
Concurrently with the Bluewood undertaking, Amerl is at present serving to Eaglecrest, Alaska bringing a pulse gondola from Austria to function a sightseeing raise for cruise ship passengers. That undertaking has been beset by years of delays which Amerl argues aren’t his fault. Eaglecrest is owned by the Metropolis and Borough of Juneau, has misplaced cash for years and fired its Common Supervisor final yr. To date Juneau taxpayers have fronted $1.33 million for the gondola, $1.1 million for transport and $1.86 million for extra towers, a haul rope, additional sheaves, grips and hangers. The gondola has been principally delivered and engineered with the Metropolis anticipated to situation an RFP for set up quickly.
There’s an argument ski areas like Eaglecrest, Mission Ridge and Bluewood merely couldn’t afford model new bubble chairs and gondolas from Leitner-Poma or Doppelmayr and used lifts are their solely choice. “Steelhead Techniques has at all times been dedicated to serving to small resorts prosper and develop and our monitor report is unblemished,” notes Amerl.
Fortunately Bluewood will not be with out a base-to-summit raise this season. The brand new Skyline Categorical was slated to switch a Borvig triple chair relationship again to 1978. Fortunately that raise remained intact alongside building of the brand new raise’s foundations. Bluewood did take away the chairs final spring and is within the strategy of re-installing them. Development continues on the brand new raise’s foundations with the objective of getting the removable quad operable for winter 2026-27.
Steelhead Techniques has not but filed its response to Bluewood’s claims in court docket. “Steelhead has acted in good religion all through its dealings with WGSKI and stays dedicated to upholding the best requirements of enterprise integrity and professionalism,” the corporate stated. “We’re assured that the authorized course of will affirm that Steelhead has fulfilled its obligations appropriately.”
