Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Building a brand on an elegant foundation

The Biltmore Co. has used its centerpiece chateau to create retail and service products that bring in $130-million in annual revenue.

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published February 5, 2007

ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Merely running America's largest home - a 1890s French Renaissance-style, 250-room chateau in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina - wasn't enough.

Over the past 50 years or so, those trusted with George Vanderbilt's palatial Biltmore Estate have added a winery, a luxury hotel, five restaurants, a dozen shops and a network of retailers that sell their collection of home and garden products. Biltmore is now a successful national brand, a private company with $130-million in annual revenue and growing sales.

"What's fun is that we haven't always promoted ourselves," said Jerry Douglas, senior vice president of marketing and sales at the Biltmore Co. "Over the years, the Biltmore name and all things associated with Biltmore have become more recognized."

At the same time, in 2006 the estate welcomed more than 1-million visitors for the first time.

Preservationists say the upkeep of some of America's most prestigious houses has become an expensive chore. To help with the costs of repairs, maintenance and staffing, several are being offered up for private purchase, including Colonial Williamsburg's Carter's Grove.

But by building a brand, Biltmore is different. Along with making the estate a tourist spot, Biltmore developed its own food, furnishings, plants and building products, and sells them at its gift shops and through 3,000 retail locations.

All of it ties to the estate and the elegant lifestyle of a family once among the wealthiest in the world.

The shops also sell Biltmore-inspired cookware, china, cookbooks, and books and DVDs cataloging historical events.

"They started with an asset and then the question became what do they need to do with it," said J. Myrick Howard, president of Preservation North Carolina. "They have been extremely remarkable in achieving what they've done."

The Biltmore Co. also has gotten into the lodging business, opening the high-end Inn on Biltmore Estate in 2001, with 213 rooms designed to resemble the Biltmore House.

And last year, the Cottage on Biltmore Estate was opened to anyone interested in a more private, luxurious experience. Originally the 1896 residence of the Biltmore Estate gardener, the Cottage houses up to four adults and includes a personal chef, a butler and admission to the estate. The cost: $2,800 a night.

As the company evolves, customers seem to be following it right along. In the 2006 fiscal year, ticket sales at the estate were up 8 percent, revenue at the inn jumped 12 percent and the wine company increased revenue by 24 percent.

Industry experts think the company and its lines can continue its growth.

"The beauty of the Biltmore is that all their products and distribution channels make sense," said Jim Dettore, president and CEO of Brand Institute Inc., a brand identity consulting firm in Miami. "You can continue to extend the brand out just as long as the initial brand plays a part in the new brand."

[Last modified February 5, 2007, 10:37:43]