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July 17, 2006
Dear Friend of the Park:
As a special friend and supporter of the Park, I wanted to let you know about some important changes taking place in our company.
Our area and our business have been going through a period of significant change. Development is taking place around us, the state has begun acquiring land for a state park in Hickory Nut Gorge, and we have been examining how all of this will impact our long range business opportunities and challenges. As business owners and stewards of this property, we have been actively working to understand our business and property in light of the changes that are occurring locally, regionally and nationally so that we can make informed decisions about our future that are in the best interest of this company, the property, our associates, and our family.
As a next step in this thoughtful and deliberate process, we have chosen to list our property for sale with Sotheby’s International Realty. Due to Sotheby’s 260 year experience in handling unique treasures combined with its worldwide real estate organization that provides high level service in representing extraordinary estates, our family feels that Sotheby’s is distinctly qualified to help us connect with individuals or organizations who truly appreciate the uniqueness of our property and respect its legacy. As we work through this process with Sotheby’s, we will continue to explore all options, including on-going discussions with the state of North Carolina. We will endeavor to ultimately make the best decisions we can, decisions which are as consistent as possible with our family’s values and which build on our family’s stewardship of Chimney Rock Park for over 100 years.
Please know that as this process continues, there will be no immediate changes to our operation of the Park. As changes take place, we will communicate those with you as soon as we can.
Thank you for your support and patience as all of this unfolds.
Sincerely,
Todd B. Morse President |