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Small Business Week 2022 | Cheers for Peers
Cheers for Peers
Small Business Week 2022
In honor of Small Business Week, we recognized many businesses throughout Larimer County as part of our Cheers for Peers Appreciation campaign!
During this campaign we asked for nominations of favorite businesses in Larimer County and we received an outpouring votes. Below is a listing of those who were chosen.
Julianne Curtis – Birth and Bereavement Doula Services
Elements of Touch Wellness Spa & River Retreat
Neuhaus Real Estate Inc Office
Congratulations to each of them and to all the small business nominated!!! 
Success Story – Blue Pine Construction
Blue Pine Construction
Blue Pine Construction is based in Wellington, and run by the husband and wife team of Mike and Lorilyn Bockelman. Their company does home construction/remodeling, and a variety of outdoor “decking” projects, throughout Northern Colorado. Mike’s construction background, combined with Lorilyn’s retail management experience, makes for a productive combination. They have grown the business significantly over the last few years.
Blue Pine Construction now has 10 full time employees, including a new production manager. Mike is a Air National Guard serviceman, and tries to hire veterans when possible. A project coordinator helps with client communication. Mike says “We spend a lot of time communicating status to our clients. Communication is our secret sauce.” 
In 2020, Blue Pine Construction participated in a specialized SBDC program called ScaleUp Smart, which was significantly funded by the Wellington Town and Chamber of Commerce. The program produced customized marketing evaluations and recommendations. Lorilyn said “We didn’t have any active marketing. This program helped us clean up our website, and gave us the knowledge to tailor our marketing, and we work on select tasks every month now. It also helped us focus on more appropriate projects. Right after completing the ScaleUp Smart program we hired a marketing company to help with our social media and implement what we learned as well.”
Lorilyn adds “We got started with the Larimer SBDC through a HR class, done by Tina Todd of Simply HR. It was very thorough.”
Mike and Lorilyn also met with SBDC construction consultant Andy Meade. Mike commented “We discussed job costing, and also talked a lot about corporate structure; it was really helpful.” SBDC Director Mike OConnell also assisted with proactively using financial ratios to help meet profitability goals.
Today, Mike and Lorilyn report that Blue Pine Construction “is on track to meet all of our goals”, despite the current challenges of material cost increases and shortages. “We got a great combination of SBDC assistance, across several aspects of our business, it wasn’t any one big thing.”, Mike remarked.
We at the Larimer SBDC look forward to continuing to work with this great local business!
