18 July 2008

Pinnacle Travel acquires inbound operator

Specialist group ski firm Pinnacle Travel has acquired inbound operator Barton Hill Travel.

The deal, for an undisclosed amount, will increase PinnacleÃ¢â¬â¢s turnover and profit by more than 40%, as well as diversifying its portfolio of products and source markets, a company statement said.

The purchase is first in a series of planned acquisitions by Pinnacle, which claims to be growing rapidly despite difficult market conditions.

Poole-based Barton Hill provides inbound packages to the UK and continental Europe for specialist groups from the US, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

It fits with PinnacleÃ¢â¬â¢s positioning as a leading operator of group ski and educational visits to the US.

Barton Hill, established more than 30 years ago, was purchased from Paul and Louise Brunner, who will continue with the company. They will establish a new Australian sales and marketing office for the enlarged group.

Pinnacle chairman David Lyne said: Ã¢â¬ÅâœBarton Hill is precisely the kind of operation which we look for, offering a high-quality personalised service to demanding clients who are prepared to pay a realistic price to receive exactly what they require.

Ã¢â¬ÅâœBarton Hill is also largely a summer operation, which obviously complements PinnacleÃ¢â¬â¢s existing winter business perfectly.Ã¢â¬~

by Phil Davies