Hornblower Cruises to replace Maid Of The Mist in Niagara

The winning bidder was just announced in the competition to provide the boat service at Niagara Falls and it is California based Hornblower Cruises. This could mean that the Maid Of The Mist brand is on its way out unless Hornblower negotiates a deal with Maid of the Mist Steamship Corporation to use the brand. Some will argue that the Maid of the Mist brand is an icon and should remain, however we'll have to wait and see. Maid of the Mist will continue operations through the 2013 calendar year. Hornblower will generate billions of dollars in revenues and hundreds of millions in profit with absolutely no competition. It isn't clear whether Maid of the Mist reapplied, nor is it clear if there was other bids. I'm sure we'll hear more on this in the upcoming weeks/months. What are your thoughts on a California company taking over from Maid of the Mist?