Alto Collective
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Owner:
Kevin Alto
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Jobs Created:
2
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Inception:
2013
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Mentor:
Richard Holbrook
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Industry:
Manufacturing
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Location:
Calgary, Alberta
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Business Profile
Alto Longboards was started by two brothers who have an undeniable knack for designing and manufacturing a vast variety of unique and functional wood products. The Alto Longboard offers a wide array of hand crafted products, from high performance wood longboards, durable wood phone cases, natural acoustic wood phone docks, to household items such as cutting boards, coasters and more.
My Story
Seeing a Need
A few years ago, Kevin and his brother were looking to buy their first longboard. Their search ended fruitlessly when they realized that no one currently offered the type of boards that they wanted. This moment inspired them to begin building their own, to their own specifications and standards.
They began building and testing, and rebuilding until they mastered their skills to achieve a board that they could truly be satisfied with. That board became the first product that they felt comfortable letting people buy and use in their lives. While they believe there will always be room for improvement, they realized when they got there that they now had the woodworking skills and problem-solving confidence to build just about anything they put their minds to.
Advice
“Don’t wait. If you have an idea, find ways to start testing it. Starting a business might seem daunting, so break down your idea and find small, less intimidating ways to test it. Learn as much as possible. This will help you decide whether to start a business with that idea, or a portion of that idea, or to try an entirely different idea altogether.”
