Top Company 2022: Consumer Business

The outpouring of applications for this year’s Top Company awards is a testament to the resilience and adaptability of enterprises that do business in the state. Applications for the 35th annual awards numbered in the hundreds, and it was particularly encouraging to see so many companies rebounding from two years of COVID restrictions, with most posting revenue and employee gains approaching—and in some cases, exceeding—pre-pandemic numbers.

This year’s Top Company winners and finalists represent 13 industry categories, plus a startup category for companies in business less than four years. Entrants were judged on three criteria: outstanding achievement, financial performance and community involvement. The judging panel was made up of ColoradoBiz magazine’s editorial board and two representatives from the business community.

WINNER Alpine Buick GMC

Littleton

Since opening its first dealership in Denver in 2005, Alpine Buick GMC has added two locations  —  one in Colorado Springs in 2018, its flagship location in Littleton in 2020 and Alpine Ford in Pueblo in 2022.  

The company is the highest-volume Buick GMC dealership in Colorado and the state’s largest woman-owned business. 

Over the past two years, Alpine Buick GMC has experienced growth despite a difficult automotive market that’s still feeling the effects of the pandemic. In the last two years, the Colorado dealerships had a nearly 70% increase in revenue, and Alpine Buick GMC ranks as the No. 1 GM dealership in Colorado.  

The pandemic and resulting supply-chain issues made procuring chips for vehicles difficult. GM is building cars and parking them until they can be fitted with a chip.  

“Alpine alone has more than 100 vehicles that have been built for its inventory that are parked and waiting to be retrofitted,” said Ivette Dominguez, Dealer and President of the Alpine Buick GMC. “To add insult to injury, supply chain disruptions might cause problems with the delivery of cars once they’re ready.” 

While its likely that the issues won’t be resolved until late 2022 or early 2023, Alpine remains successful because of its strong relationships in the industry and the community, top-notch customer service and savvy sales professionals who find the best deals and vehicles for each person who walks into one of its dealerships. 

Alpine has supported the community throughout its history. Recently, the company launched a fundraiser to help a customer whose son needed a complicated surgery. It’s helped raise more than $2 million for community and nonprofit organizations, including Alice’s 36 Hours for Kids, Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation and Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.

FinalistCarboy Winery

Littleton

Carboy Winery has helped lift the Colorado wine industry into a region ripe with possibilities. Through ambitious winemaking and innovation with new varietal wines, sparkling wines and wine seltzers, the company is helping to turn a state known for its beer into one that creates exciting and adventurous wines.

“Not only is Carboy Winery putting Colorado on a national map for making world-class wine, we’re also leading the way in sustainable packaging innovation efforts,” CEO Kevin Webber said. “From grape to glass, a winery’s greatest carbon impact is in its packaging, which represents 38% of a winery’s total carbon output.”

Carboy Winery has four winery and tasting room locations throughout Colorado. Each winery is an active participant in the community where it’s located. From private label projects such as Soul to the Summit Foundation and the Legacy Foundation to the numerous charities it donates to, Carboy believes in community engagement and giving back, Webber said.

The company’s biggest advantage is its vintner’s restaurant/winery license that allows for full-scale winery operations and manufacturing to exist under the same roof as a full-service restaurant. It also has wholesale privileges that make it a licensed distributor.

“This has allowed us to profit much, much quicker than most all wineries,” Webber said. “It also builds an organic audience with the adjacent restaurant.”

Finalist — GOLFTEC

Englewood

Golftec Golf Outing
Golftec Team Golf Outing

Headquartered in Denver, GOLFTEC’s mission is to help people play better golf.

The company is the world’s largest provider of golf instruction and premium club fittings with more than 225 locations worldwide.

Among GOLFTEC’s biggest accomplishments over the last year was the launch of OptiMotion, a proprietary motion measurement system that wirelessly captures more than 4,000 data points in every swing. This allows GOLFTEC students to make swings and receive video analysis without the requirement of a harness or sensor.

“The launch of our revolutionary OptiMotion technology was instrumental in GOLFTEC being named one of the Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Sport by Fast Company,” said Ryan Gager, GOLFTEC’s digital communications specialist.

Like most businesses, GOLFTEC faced significant challenges last year, but the company and the industry proved to be resilient and turned those obstacles into the most successful year in the company’s history.

“We stayed true to our mission of helping people play better golf, and our incredible team of almost 1,000 GOLFTEC coaches set records in nearly every area of our business,” Gager said.

The company last year provided more than 1.5 million golf lessons, opened 12 new locations and donated more than $2 million to charity.

“With all that growth and success, combined with challenges that limited travel and required remote work, one of our biggest accomplishments in 2021 was what our team did to develop new and innovative ways to onboard new team members, maintain our standards of excellence for coach training and ensure that our company culture was stronger than ever.”