IMAGINE THIS: A remote canyon, elevation 8,000 feet above sea level. A thick forest of pine, spruce, and fir trees, flowing around rocky slopes. A long, narrow driveway - an old single track mining road from the 1840's -  all uphill and strictly four-wheel drive even in the summer. A small log cabin, with an even smaller workshop next door.

A great place for a retreat, yes. But a great place to start a business?

Yet, for our first nine years, from 1985 to 1994, Silver Canyon Coffee operated daily in this beautiful place. Every bag of green coffee, many weighing more than 150 pounds, had to be carried uphill from the delivery truck, often through snow and ice. The roastmaster himself drove the roasted coffee into town. It is here that we set up our first roaster, and because our site was off the grid, we powered the business with a 15KW, three-phase propane generator. It was here that we learned the attention to detail so critical for success in the coffee business. After all, when a dead battery can shut down your entire operation, you pay attention to the small things.

In 1994, Silver Canyon moved to another unique location, just north of Boulder. High atop a mesa, surrounded by open space, rabbits, foxes, and coyotes run wild, and eagles glide overhead. The company, starting from that workshop in the mountains, has grown into the most experienced and knowledgeable group of coffee professionals in the state. After more than three decades of experience providing coffee services for a dedicated group of customers who are passionate about great coffee, we have just about seen it all.