Kassbohrer ATV, Inc. is the North American division of German parent company Kassbohrer AG and the distributor of PistenBully snow grooming equipment.

Lost Valley Management, LLC. and Kassbohrer ATV, Inc., the North American division of German parent company Kassbohrer AG, have announced that Lost Valley in Auburn has been selected by Kassbohrer as the future site of a new facility for the company’s regional headquarters. The company is the distributor of PistenBully snow grooming equipment.

Outgrowing its current New England location, Kassbohrer has considered various sites, and a partnership with Lost Valley Ski Area has been selected as the leading option.

“Lost Valley is a unique location, with Alpine skiing, Nordic skiing and snowmobile trails all located on site, along with a facility to host an array of people and business opportunities,” said KATV Regional Sales and Operations Manager Josh Nelson. “This facility will change the way we approach every aspect of our business, while giving us the ability to maintain, if not improve, our superior level of service to our customers. We will have the ability to offer new options for service and knowledge that have not been possible until now.”

Nelson believes that the partnership with Lost Valley and Scott Shanaman will be a game changer for KATV. The history between Kassbohrer and Lost Valley goes back almost 50 years, to Valley Engineering and the introduction of early snow grooming implements on the trails of Lost Valley.

“Snow farming,” as it was then called, was the early version of grooming as we know it today. Kassbohrer Germany quickly realized the value of the implements being designed and built by Valley Engineering and entered into an agreement to distribute the implements produced in Maine with the machines built in Germany on a worldwide basis. In late 1979, Kassbohrer bought Valley Engineering and created Kassbohrer North America.

Lewiston native Harry Turgeon, one of the original employees with Valley Engineering, works today at Kassbohrer’s New England office in Lewiston. “The history of Lost Valley and the snow grooming business are eternally tied together from the beginning,” said Turgeon. “Now we can go back to write the future.”

“Lost Valley is excited to have this partnership with Kassbohrer ATV,” said Lost Valley owner Scott Shanaman. “Having Kassbohrer’s regional headquarters located at Lost Valley means we’ll have access to the latest in snow grooming technology, equipment, maintenance and training.

“Lost Valley has a history of being innovative in the ski industry, including the production of Valley Engineering grooming implements, the first snowmaking system in Maine, and the first night skiing in Maine. This partnership with Kassbohrer fits in with our vision of returning Lost Valley to the cutting edge of the ski industry, and provides us and other local service providers with additional business opportunities.

“More importantly, it means jobs are being retained and created here in the Lewiston-Auburn area. It’s awesome to have the history – and now future – of snow grooming coming right out of Lost Valley in Auburn.”

Lost Valley is located at 200 Lost Valley Road. Site development, meetings with city officials, and planning and permitting are in progress. Kassbohrer hopes to have the new facility up and running by Spring of 2018.