Three longtime outfitters work to complete merger

By Matthew Hill and Fred Pace

“The ink is almost dried,” as Class VI River Runners co-owner Doug Proctor put it Wednesday, on a deal that would merge his company with two other whitewater rafting outfitters — The Rivermen and Adventure Mountain River. The new entity will be known as Adventure West Virginia Resort LLC.

“(The deal) is almost in the 12th hour and we’re all excited,” Proctor said. “We have three great staffs and a lot of good managers. We have a lot of good investors — mostly West Virginians. We look to take our setting, hospitality and product mix to a new level in the next couple of years.”

The move comes on the heels of another recent merger, Proctor explained — that of Appalachian Wild Water and Extreme Expeditions.

The merging of Proctor’s company with the two others has been an ongoing process for several months, he noted, as owners and investors discussed “how the merger will happen and working out the details of a business transition.”

According to Proctor, the three outfitters that will soon become one did more than 50,000 user days of rafting with 350 employees among them last year. He described them as the “three best outfits.”

“Our impetus was to offer new products and have more of a chance to be a growth company,” he said.

“When you have a merger, you’re looking to be a stronger company. I think we are three strong companies. We hope to offer more products, and we will offer more products. We’re moving toward more of a destination resort, and we hope to increase our services to guests.”

He also observed that 2008 marks the 40th year of whitewater rafting on the New River.

“There are about 15 companies now that run the river,” he said.

“There are some outfitters who have run these businesses for more than 30 years. Some want to get out. It’s (the merging trend) providing companies a way to transition and also grow by way of a merger. I think we will see growth and recapitalization in the industry.

Paul Buechler, a long-time whitewater rafting guide at Class VI, will head the new management team. He was formerly a vice president at McJunkin Redman, headquartered in Charleston.

“I’ve been lucky to have a 25 year weekend career as a river guide. In 2007 I came to the conclusion that I have the right experience in finances and corporate strategy to consolidate some of the major players into a premier recreation destination,” Buechler said.

“I have known the management teams of these companies for a long time and I am excited about our future as a combined company.”

The merger calls for the three companies’ operations to be completely integrated by 2009, with coordination of activities to begin this spring, Buechler said.

“Adventure Mountain River and Class VI will integrate all operations at the Class VI base camp on Ames Heights Road for the 2008 season,” he explained. “The Rivermen will continue to operate out if its present base camp just south of the New River Gorge Bridge.”

Within the new organization, the management partners of all three companies will continue to have managing responsibilities.

“The whitewater rafting industry has faced some challenges in the past few years and our companies have recognized a need to expand our services to ensure that guests find the activities they want when they visit our sites,” said Dave Arnold, Class VI managing partner.

“Each of us began to see that we could build a stronger business base if we developed a partnership, and Paul’s decision to enter our industry brought us together.”

Riverman owner Brian Campbell commented, “It’s exciting to see how we can merge three companies, all founded in whitewater rafting but that offer our guests different services, and build a stronger future for our businesses, our guests and our employees.”

— E-mail: mhill@register-herald.com or fpace@register-herald.com