The Muellers weren't particularly savvy businesspeople when they bought Okemo. Tim says, "We were young and naïve enough to think that we could make something happen." Because they didn't have the resources back then to make major improvements, they decided to emphasize quality and execution. "We needed to show people that we could deliver a better skiing experience," says Tim. And the two ways they could create the "Okemo difference" without making big investments at first was by improving both the conditions on the hill and the way people were treated. Those are still the two guiding principles - quality trails and quality service -- that distinguish Okemo from other ski areas in the region.