By: Allison Albery
Q: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your company?
A: I’m the President and Owner of Alpine Events, an event rental company headquartered in Grand Rapids, MI. Alpine Events provides equipment rentals including tents, tables, chairs, linens, and table settings for corporate, wedding, and social events clients.
Q: Did you always see yourself becoming an entrepreneur?
A: No. There wasn’t a lot of industry outside of manufacturing where I grew up. The thought of owning my own business never really occurred to me. I didn’t consider being an entrepreneur until I started working for one after graduating from GVSU.
Q: What led you to this industry?
A: I realized early in my career that running a business was what I enjoyed. It didn’t matter if it was in Security Services, Waste Management, Oil and Gas, or Event Rentals. I enjoy building the business and unlocking the potential of the people inside of it.
Q: How did your time at GVSU shape who you are today?
A: GVSU had a huge impact on who I am today. From walking on to the football team and learning a lot about what I was (and wasn’t) capable of, to working in two different industries via internships prior to graduation, and really building a lifelong network of peers who I now consider some of the most important people in my life.
Q: What makes your company unique?
A: The event rental industry is historically made up of small, owner-operated businesses. We believe this is changing quickly as a lot of the 1st and 2nd generation owners exit their businesses. Alpine now operates three separate locations across two states. We started the business with growth in mind and continue to look for opportunities to grow. We
Q: What made you want to start this business?
A: I started working for a couple of entrepreneurs right out of college. I helped them buy, sell, and grow multiple businesses. We exited a couple of businesses in 2015 and I decided I wanted to run something of my own. I searched for a service for six months before finding Alpine and purchased it three months later.
Q: What recent accomplishments have the company made?
A: We recently acquired our first company outside of West Michigan. We purchased a great business in Ann Arbor in April 2023. We followed that up with our first out-of-state acquisition in November in Winter Haven, FL. This was important to us because of our seasonality. We’re now able to retain more staff year-round and add to our team of skilled operators.
Q: What does this company have planned for the future?
A: We have aggressive goals for the next five years. We now have our foot in the door of a major market with Ann Arbor/ Detroit and we’ll look to expand our footprint there. We’re also excited about the growth opportunities in Florida and will look for ways to shift to a major market in the next 18 months. At the same time, we will need to continue to invest in our team by creating new leaders and making sure our people are ready for the challenges and opportunities ahead.
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