7 Family-Owned and Operated Colorado Springs Small Businesses
Colorado Springs is a city of character, composed of hundreds of small businesses with centuries of family legacies. From aerial obstacle courses to nonprofits that are creating more inclusive employment opportunities, small businesses in the Pikes Peak region build a strong foundation for the city’s economy.
Here are just a few of the family-owned and operated businesses that thrive in the Colorado Springs’ community-first environment.
Cave of the Winds
If you’re looking for amazing scenery and adventure, Cave of the Winds is the place to be. This third-generation family-owned business located in the foothills of Colorado Springs has been a member of the Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC for more than 100 years.
Choose from not one but two cave tours. Experience the breathtaking Williams Canyon 600-feet above ground with the Wind Walker Challenge Course. Take the family panning for gemstones just like the miners during the gold rush. And if you’re out for the thrill of a lifetime, Bat-A-Pult will send you careening at 40-mph on a 1,200-foot trip across Williams Canyon.
Blue Star Recyclers
Owned and operated by a father and son team, 501c3 nonprofit Blue Star Recyclers is about a lot more than reclaiming resources and being an environmental leader in the Colorado Springs community. The company is a major employer of people living with disabilities, with 80% (or 45 workers) identifying as such in 2021. It also trained six electronics recyclers on workforce inclusion and helped three school districts implement their own career training programs.
Blue Star is a Chamber & EDC member and is also e-stewards certified, which means all electrical items are ethically recycled, helping businesses remain compliant with emission reduction and sustainability regulations.
Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort
Keeping the adventure going is one of the most unique retreats in the region – Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort. The family-owned and operated business offers vintage bicycle-themed rooms and is located less than a mile from Garden of the Gods Park. It offers countless miles of trails ideal for hiking and biking, provides a calendar of events including yoga, live music and a daily happy hour.
Elevated Entrances
Recently certified woman-owned small business Elevated Entrances was founded by Brandy Dietz and her husband Duffy in 2018. The company provides the Pikes Peak region with more than 20 years of in-market experience in automatic entrances, including overhead door and gate systems, rolling steel doors and sectional doors.
Hallenbeck Coin Gallery
Minutes away from Blue Star and also in the downtown area is Hallenbeck Coin Gallery — a second generation family-owned coin and precious metal dealer that has been in business since 1983. Hallenbeck is a full-service coin dealer offering upfront buys, sells, and trades, and is nationally known for its fair treatment of customers. The business is also just two blocks from the American Numismatic Association (ANA) Money Museum which explores the history and art of currency across three galleries.
Luisa Graff Jewelers
Colorado Springs’ fastest growing mother-son-owned and operated jewelry store, Luisa Graff Jewelers, consistently stocks more than 350 diamonds and offers an on-site master jeweler for customized pieces. The jeweler was named Family-Owned Small Business of the Year at the Pikes Peak Small Business Awards in 2021 and is consistently a winner of The Gazette’s Best Workplaces.
In the 1990s, store owner Luisa Graff became the first female gemologist in Colorado and one of the youngest in the western U.S. after her family fled an oppressive Peruvian dictatorship. In 2014, she hired her son, Andrew, who started out working as a retail associate at the North Nevada Avenue location after two years in the reserves and six-years of active-duty service. Now Andrew is store manager of the location.
Sealing Devices
For more than half a century, Sealing Devices has been one of North America’s largest manufacturers of seals and gaskets, delivering solutions for aerospace, defense, transportation and many other industries. The veteran-run and soon-to-be third generation family-owned business has been AS9100-certified since 2009 and offers over 200 pieces of state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment.
If you’re looking to become a part of a community of Colorado Springs small businesses, learn about the region’s relocation services, explore the available resources in the area and contact us to get started on the journey.