In honor of National Small Business Week, the Colorado Chamber is celebrating Colorado small businesses and recognizing the contributions of small business owners, entrepreneurs, and their employees to our local communities. Learn more about Small Business Week here!
Today’s feature is John Gibson with Secret Creek
Following a career spanning over 30 years of leadership in the Lawn & Tree Care Industry, John Gibson’s life journey led to the purchase of Colorado Yurt Company, based in Montrose, Colorado. Now known as Secret Creek, the company has become an award-winning enterprise.
Throughout his career, Gibson demonstrated his ability to lead and develop people, processes, and systems for service industry businesses. Starting from the front line, he rose to the top leadership role of Swingle Lawn, Tree & Landscape, a legacy lawn and tree care business that grew into a $34 million enterprise with over 350 employees under his leadership. Gibson’s success led him to become a member of Vistage International and serve in leadership roles for several industry trade certifications and educational programs.
In January of 2020, Gibson’s journey took a new turn when he purchased Colorado Yurt Company, a company that manufactures yurts, tipis and tents for a variety of clients. With Gibson’s passion for the outdoors and leadership skills, the company has continued to inspire outdoor connections through quality craftsmanship on the Western Slope of Colorado.
However, the purchase coincided with the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020, presenting a new challenge for Gibson and his team. Colorado Yurt Company leaped into manufacturing face shields and other PPE to retain employees.
Despite the challenges, Secret Creek has successfully implemented a new ERP, overcome supply chain issues, and constructed a new campus with a 30,000 square foot manufacturing facility. In June of 2022, the company was officially rebranded as Secret Creek and moved into their new building at Colorado Outdoors in Montrose, Colorado.
Gibson’s advice to small business owners is to create a strong network.
“Having a small business doesn’t mean you have small problems to overcome,” said Gibson. “Find a network of people to support you through the tough times and then be that person that’s there to support others who need you down the road.”
Learn more about Secret Creek here!
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