Mind Your Business - A Podcast Series produced by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce

Author: David Jackson

A weekly podcast produced by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.
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Language: en

Genres: Business, Government, Marketing

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The Sale of Hawksnest & the Understanding the Landscape of Business Succession
Thursday, 9 April, 2026

Earlier this week, Lenny Cottom announced the sale of Hawksnest Snow Tubing & Zipline after 35-years of family ownership. Fortunately, this was part of the Cottom's plan, and they worked to find a buyer that shared their vision for the future of this long-time outdoor playground.Business succession does not always go so smoothly, and sometimes a lack of planning can force the hand of a business owner in a way that has a negative impact on employees, customers, and the surrounding community.On this week's Mind Your Business, we hear directly from Lenny Cottom about the sale of Hawksnest, what drove the family's decision, and what comes next for one of the High Country's longest running outdoor attractions. We then tackle the concept of business succession as we visit with Chris Grasinger and John Wilantowicz of Mountain BizWorks. We discuss how developing a plan around the sale of a business can help maximize the value of the return, and ensure employees and customers can continue to count on the goods and services provided. We'll also talk about the growing benefits of buying an established business versus starting a small business from scratch, and how that can factor positively into future financing, community positioning, and other similar considerations.Mind Your Business is written and produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. This podcast is made possible thanks to the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.Catch the show each Thursday afternoon (except this week -- tune in Friday, April 10th) at 5PM on WATA (1450AM & 96.5FM) in Boone.Support the show