Page 32 - Flathead Beacon // 7.20.16

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JULY 20, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
TRANSACTIONS 33 BUSINESS IS PERSONAL 34 Business
Byron and Lee Beers, co-owners of Great Northern Resort.
GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
WEST GLACIER – In the early 1970s, Reno Baldwin opened a raft company on the side of U.S. Highway 2 and worked out of an old Great Northern Railway ca- boose. Over the years, new owners came and went, and the business grew to in- clude lodging. But through it all, that old wooden caboose has remained.
On a recent sunny Friday morning, the Great Northern Whitewater Raft and Resort’s new owners, brothers By- ron and Lee Beers, were working hard to ensure that both the caboose and the
business continue to stand strong for years to come.
The Beerses purchased the re- sort and raft company earlier this year from Nic and Victoria Lee and Carl Motes-Conners, who had owned it since 2010. Motes-Conners is staying on as general manager. The Lees, who also own the Glacier Distillery Company in Coram, said they wanted to focus on their spirits business.
“We wanted to nd someone that had the same mindset as us when it came to running the company, and the (broth-
ers) have that,” Nic Lee said.
The Beerses originally hail from
New Hampshire but have been com- ing to Montana for more than two de- cades. Byron worked as a river guide on the Middle Fork Flathead River for four summers in the 1990s, while Lee has lived in the Flathead Valley since 1994 and worked in construction.
Byron and his family have spent time in Montana, Arizona and France, where he worked as an electrical engineer for space satellites. Running a raft compa- ny is a lot di erent than engineering for
a satellite that will circle the earth, but Byron said he was ready for a change.
“It’s a complete career change,” he said. “But we wanted something where we could spend more time with family.”
“We really wanted a change of pace,” Lee added.
Since purchasing the resort, the Beers brothers have been busy prepar- ing for the summer tourism season, which started in earnest in June. Lee has been putting his construction back- ground to good use and is leading a res- toration of the old caboose. For years,
HELP H H H H H WOUNDED WARRIORS
Montana Wounded Warriors is holding a raf e to bene t our wounded Montana MONTANA Veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The funds raised will be used only
H H H H H
1ST PRIZE H 2ND PRIZE H 3RD PRIZE $5,000 CASH $3,000 CASH $2,000 CASH
DRAWING AT THE SQUIRELOUNGE AUGUST 27TH 2016
NEW LIFE
for wounded vets who are residents of the State of Montana and all money raised will stay here in Montana. Tickets are $10 each and winners will receive cash
prizes. Drawing will be August 27. Locally tickets will be available at Jesse Mann’s Edward Jones of ce in Columbia Falls or Jacob Baumann’s Edward Jones of ce in Polson and Army Navy store in Kalispell or White sh. You
for an
OLD CABOOSE
Brothers purchase Great Northern Whitewater and Raft Resort and restore railroad relic
BY JUSTIN FRANZ
can also go to montanawoundedwarriors.org for more ticket info. We are NOT af liated with the wounded warriors project and we are all volunteers.
Thank you for your support.