Eagle County outdoor gear shop for sale — owners want to sell it to a local with passion
Alpine Quest Sports/Courtesy photo
Wanna buy a gear shop?
That’s the question Sean Glackin is posing to locals in the Eagle County area. Glackin, who has owned Alpine Quest Sports with his wife, Cory, since 2005, is ready to move to the next chapter in life but wants to see the business go to another person or group who is passionate about the outdoor mountain lifestyle.
“Cory and I have been running the business for over 20 years at this point. We have raised two kids in this store that are now pretty much out of the house. We feel like it is time to try something new and let someone else take over this business that has given us so much over the years,” Glackin said.
The Glackins had been running their own business, Alpine Kayak, as a summer-only operation that concentrated on river sports since 2002. By 2005, it was time to grow into a year-round business and the opportunity to combine Alpine Kayak with Mountain Quest Sports made sense since it had also been in the river sports space but had a more established winter business with climbing and backcountry skiing.
They bought Mountain Quest Sports from other long-time locals Chris Amoroso, Craig Russum and Dave Skluzacek. Mountain Quest Sports evolved from The Sports Recycler which was owned by another long-time local, Karm Trygg.
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“I would love to have a local take over this business for several reasons. Having passionate and knowledgeable individuals at the helm ensures a higher level of expertise, personalized service, community connection and advocacy, all of which contribute to a better experience for customers and our river, rock and snow community,” Glackin said.
On Alpine Quest Sports’ website, it states that it is a company that is run by those who love the outdoors for those who love the outdoors.
“Customers thank us for being here on a daily basis. Their support is what keeps us going and we want to make sure Alpine Quest Sports is in good hands moving forward to keep taking care of those who take care of us,” Glackin said.
The Glackins are working with a business broker, Thom Beckett, but they wanted to put the call out there that this local establishment is up for grabs.
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“I think the challenges are the same as running many businesses in this valley. Staffing, competition, seasonality, etc. There are financial rewards, but beyond that is the satisfaction of serving a passionate community, making lifelong friends and making a positive impact on the local paddling, backcountry skiing and river sports scene,” Glackin said. “Whether it is an epic ski outing, a first day on the river or leading their first 5.10, we feel like we are a part of our customer’s experiences. A bad day in the office is still a pretty great day.”
Cory and Sean aren’t quite sure what they’ll do next, but they do want to ensure a smooth transition to the next owner.
“We really just want to help set this business up to succeed for the next 20-plus years with a new owner or owners, then take a step back and figure out our next move, Sean Glackin said.
Are you ready to take this legacy business forward? If so, contact Thom Beckett at 970-485-9488 or mtnghost04@yahoo.com.
