SUGAR MOUNTAIN – Sugar Mountain Resort's Summit Express Grand Opening and ribbon cutting ceremony took place Saturday November 14. The grand opening was for a $5 million high speed, detachable, six passenger chairlift from the base to the summit.

"Sugar Mountain Resort has been an icon in our state for years, attracting families from around this region and our country," Governor Pat McCrory said. "This investment is a great sign for our economy and the confidence that businesses like Sugar Mountain Resort have in growing here."

The nearly one mile long ride to Sugar Mountain’s 5,300 foot peak will take just five minutes with the new chairlift. It will carry 2,518 people per hour.

Sugar Mountain Resort is one of the many businesses benefiting from North Carolina's thriving tourism industry. North Carolina is the sixth most visited state in the nation, and 50 million people from across the U.S. visited N.C. last year. In 2014, N.C. tourism generated record visitor spending with a total of $21.3 billion.