Home

Chris Sack doesn't think he picked an odd time to start his business.

Alpine Finishes officially started work Jan. 1, in the middle of a building burst in Steamboat Springs. Still, he said, he knew that he'd be able to make it work. His father, Jerry Sack, ran a painting business in Steamboat for years. In June, Jerry told his son to make his move.

"He said, 'Get your stuff together because this winter, you're not going to believe it. People are going to start folding up,'" Chris Sack said.

That has been the case, Sack said. But for him, business has been steady. He attributes that partly to his family's history in town.

Sack was born and raised in Steamboat and still uses the cell phone number his dad used for business: 846-1935. Sack is convinced that Jerry had one of the first cell phones in the county. When Sack took the old-school cell phone in to see what the plan included, he found out his dad had paid $10 a month for 35 minutes of talk time.

"I said I probably need to get upgraded," Chris Sack said with a laugh.

Sack studied business at college in Denver and worked in painting and finishing for Ben Spiegel at Spiegel & Son. He decided to strike out on his own. Now, he said, no job is too small.

Work has been steady, and Sack sometimes spends more than 100 hours a week in the shop.

"I've been more tired working 40 hours a week for someone else than 110 hours for myself," he said.

His community and business connections help. He works with a window and door company that recommends him for finishes. And he makes sure to remain active in the community. He learned that from Jerry, who used to conduct business at the El Rancho bar.

Sack eats at the Shack every day and makes himself visible around town - and it's paid off.

"I've gotten three jobs in the past two months," he said. "You've got to go out. If you spend money, it'll come back - 10 times as much."

If he's short on work, he can make the rounds of friends and customers.

"Once you get trust with a customer, you can tell them what they need," he said. "You don't have to wait for them to call you."

For Sack, his success has come from treating customers well and work, work, work. He also speaks with his dad, heeding the advice Jerry picked up during his years in Steamboat.

Sack offered one final gem: "My dad always told me the harder you work, the luckier you get."