Conversations with Timothy LaPointe

Today we’d like to introduce you to Timothy LaPointe.

Hi Timothy, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My career path and my education don’t line up traditionally. I have a Bachelor of Arts in History and Literature from Susquehanna University and a Master of Arts in Literature from the State University of New York – Binghamton. I originally wanted to be an English professor like my dad. I worked at a local landscape company/nursery during the summers while I was in college and grad school and realized that I also loved the physical challenge that landscaping offered.

I took a year off after my Master’s degree and moved to Colorado to work for a family friend’s commercial landscape company while I decided if I wanted to pursue my PhD. I ended up working for him for 14 years, eventually leading the construction division. However, I continued to feel the pull of academia and the classroom. I taught composition and literature at night at Red Rocks Community College for 10 years, until my day job and my growing family made it too hard to balance everything. The last 7 or 8 years have found me in senior leadership positions in two of the most prestigious landscape construction firms in the metro area.

My years in the landscape industry provided me tremendous opportunities to lead large, diverse, talented teams and to work on some really exciting projects, including the Predator Ridge and Asian Tropics expansions of the Denver Zoo, various projects on the campuses of the University of Denver and Colorado School of Mines, and the Broncos training facilities at Dove Valley. However, I was always aware that I could only go so far working for someone else. So, when I found myself with the opportunity to open my own company, I decided to go for it. Luckily, I have a strong network of wonderful colleagues whom I have worked with over the years and was able to assemble an incredible team to help get us off the ground.

We spent last year designing and installing beautiful landscapes from Evergreen, Genesee, and Lookout Mountain to Arvada, Denver, and Castle Pines, building our reputation for excellence, reliability, and honesty. When we started we were a tiny company: me, one crew led by Cuco Macias, my oldest and most trusted friend in the industry, and my sister Kate handling the books, office management, and generally anything that keeps a business going. Just a year and a half later we have doubled in size while continuing to focus on the quality and professionalism that we consider our trademark.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I wouldn’t say that it has been a perfectly smooth road, but sometimes I am surprised at how smooth it has been.

We have had some struggles – winter is hard on landscape companies and that was certainly true for us last year – but we also have a management team with vast experience in the industry, so we have been able to predict and proactively handle many of the potential roadblocks that I have seen derail other companies.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We are known for our up-front, honest approach, our top-notch craftsmanship, and our professional ability to deliver projects on schedule and budget. However, I think I’m most proud of our people and our relationships.

Alpine HomeScapes is built on a foundation of crews who have worked together with Cuco, our Ops Manager Mark Bacho, our Project Manager Jordan Salisbury, and me over the years and have developed a culture of mutual respect and admiration. Where most companies are keenly feeling the labor shortage that is endemic in the metro area, Alpine has a steady pipeline of qualified, skilled workers who we have known and worked with for many, many years.

In an economic environment where supply-chain issues and limited inventory have become the norm, Alpine HomeScapes can sidestep most of these problems through our personal, time-tested relationships with many of the area’s largest vendors and suppliers. Rather than relying on local nurseries or supply yards, we can work directly with many of the principal suppliers who furnish inventory to these yards, skipping the line and ensuring that our customers get the products they want when they want them. Our reputation for precise planning, accurate forecasting, and up-front negotiating tactics has proven to be the key to maintaining these high-value relationships.

While we are boundlessly proud of the abilities of our crews, we recognize that certain tasks require expertise that we do not possess. In the same way that we have cultivated relationships with our vendors, we have also developed bonds with many local artisans, craftsmen, and trade partners who can expand the scope of work that we can offer to our clients to include nearly any outdoor improvement that our clients can dream up.

We know that our success is rooted in the success of our partners and we seek to ensure that every subcontractor we engage feels that we have their best interests and continued success at heart

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
It is really simple: being a good person.

The desire to be and be known as an honest, upstanding, helpful, and caring person and a good role model drives everything I do. I look for that same characteristic in our employees, trade partners, and vendors, and I hope I inspire it in people, as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://alpinehomescapes.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlpineHomeScapes
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-lapointe/