Merchant Spotlight: Colorado Case Company

Q: What let you to launch the Colorado Case Company?

Steve Simmons: Colorado Case Company (CCC) was launched to meet the needs of musicians attending outdoor music festivals in Colorado. The summer weather here can range from snow, hail and rain in the same day, and from hot days in the low 100s to nighttime temperatures in the 30s. These kinds of extremes are very harmful to acoustic instruments. Hence all of our products are aimed at providing outstanding protection from whatever Mother nature throws at you and your instrument.

Q: What makes Colorado a good market to start a business in?

Steve: Well aside from the above need that we met, Colorado is a great state to live in and run a business. The workforce is well educated, healthy and committed to staying here for the lifestyle. This results in great employees with very low turnover. The climate for business in Colorado is equally attractive. We have had a lot of help from Governor Bill Ritters office of Economic Development with growing our exports. Additionally, there are a lot of resources available here, including the availability of tax incentives and credits for manufacturing companies like us. Lastly, there seems to be an abundance of small lenders who want to lend to small business in Colorado. The availability of funding in todays business world is a major component in deciding where to locate.

Q: What forms of protection do your cases use that distinguishes them from other instrument covers?

Steve: As described above, the thing that makes our cases unique is their ability to provide protection from extreme temperatures and rapid temperature changes. In addition, being made in the USA and having a lifetime warranty are features that are extremely hard to find in the sewn case world. Also, since we make most of our cases to a specific order, we can really focus on customization. We have 144 color combinations and many, many options which a person can add if they need it. Alternatively, if someone wants something special we can probably accommodate them.

Q: What instruments do you sell cases for?

Steve: Everything! We like to say, If you can trace it, we can case it. This is a play on our requirement that you send us a tracing of your instruments. We have made some cases for very unique and original instruments from all over the world.

Q: Does your store provide any additional services or accessories?

Steve: We only make cases. We do offer a wide range of options that let you customize your case to work exactly the way you use it.

Q: Which products have received the most interest since your store started?

Steve: Definitely our rigid harp cases. People who play the harp have a lot of logistical problems. One of which is traveling with their instrument, especially if flying. We are the only harp flight case maker in North America and as a result are pretty much the authoritative resource for travelling with a harp. We make each case custom to fit a specific harp and the resulting case is a very unusual shape. Many of our customers share stories of the curiosity they create when walking through an airport with their harp case.

Q: How would you describe your typical customer?

Steve: Our typical customer is a professional musician, or a very serious amateur. Because of the level of protection and handmade nature of our product, they do tend to be a bit more expensive that an off the shelf product. However, to a musician who makes his or her living from that instrument, they want all the protection they can buy. What is interesting is that we have to always consider the emotional and historical value of an item, not just the price in dollars. Many of our customers have one of a kind instruments, or family heirlooms or simply have a strong emotional connection to their instrument.

Q: How can customers add their own personal style to the cases they purchase through your store?

Steve: Many, many custom options including special pockets, straps and colors. You can also have your name, bands name or logo embroidered. We have access to about 100,000 embroidery designs that cover almost every topic, or we can even embroider some of your own artwork.

Q: How do you foresee the store growing or changing in the near future?

Steve: We are constantly looking for new products which fit our mission of being a single resource for cases. The most tangible item to look for on our website in the near future is a blog.

Q: Is there anything else you would like to tell us about Colorado Case Company?

Steve: The thing we are most proud of is that we are an American manufacturer and we employ your neighbors. We encourage everyone to really think about your purchases and always buy US if possible. It really can make a difference to our country if everyone did more of this. Purchasing American-made products is a new frontier of patriotism.