Ski Rental, Tour Company Coming to Hatboro

Looking to go skiing this winter?

In as little as a week or two, Hatboro will be home to a ski rental and touring business, Skis and Tours.

The Utah-based company is opening a privately owned site at the corner of York Road and Moreland Avenue. According to George Myer, a developer friend of owner Prasad Reddy, that could happen as early as next week, or early January.

Myer, on Thursday, oversaw crews ripping up and replacing carpeting in the roughly 2,500-square-foot storefront at 2 N. York Road, which had previously housed a bank. After that, he said signs would be added to the outside of the building and an estimated four or five local employees would need to be hired.

The upstairs apartment would most likely be rented to the store's manager, or another employee, Myer said, adding that that is Reddy's approach with his other ski rental and touring businesses. 

"He's a doctor who's more focused on helping people than making money," Myer said. "He's an extremely nice person."

That's why Myer said he agreed to help his friend finalize things before opening.

Reddy, who, according to Myer works as a doctor in Salt Lake City, Utah, decided to open a ski and touring business in Hatboro following a feasibility study. For the most part, Myer said the businesses are located in Utah and Colorado and he could not share any insight as to why Hatboro–which is about 90 minutes away from ski resorts–was chosen.

"Ski rental, tours, that's what they do," Myer said. "They're opening different places. It looks like it's a good business."

Myer said Reddy has finalized a deal to purchase the property for about $300,000 and is investing $50,000 in renovations and necessary additions like point-of-sale machines. The final closing is set for March, Myer said.

Hatboro Main Street Manager Stephen Barth lauded the forthcoming new addition to the borough's downtown shopping district. 

"The Skis and Tours ski shop is an exciting addition to Hatboro's town center district and will promote travel and tourism with Pennsylvania's many ski resorts," Barth said. "The ski shop will draw a completely new set of customers to our already growing Main Street area and capitalizes on Hatboro's proximity to the Pennsylvania Turnpike and its easy access to the Pocono Ski Reosrts."