Meet Warren Gross | Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Warren Gross and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Warren, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Before starting Sperry Tents Colorado, my brother and I both lived in
Rhode Island and worked for a branch of Sperry Tents Inc. in Mystic,
Connecticut.

We spent spring and summer in Rhode Island, and fall and winter in
Naples, Florida. Where we set up Sperry Tents year-round. Sperry
Tents grew on us when we had the opportunity to tour Sperry Fabric
Architecture, which is the sister company that makes all Sperry Tents
around the world. Walking into the big solar-powered barn to see
craftsmen creating tents with such focus and skill made us both
realize how special Sperry Tents really are.

We both love working outside with our hands. We really enjoy working
as members of a team towards a common goal: Lifting a big tent
requires a collaborative effort. Combine that with the opportunity to
work alongside the best wedding and event professionals in the
country.It was very easy to be drawn to Sperry Tents.

At separate times, we both moved to Telluride to work under our uncle
building houses. After spending time doing that, we realized that we
really wanted to live in Colorado. but wanted to work for our own
business.

After years of experience installing Sperry Tents all over the East
Coast, we decided that Sperry Tents would do well in Colorado and
the Rockies and we began planning!

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
What sets Sperry Tents Colorado apart from others is more than the
superior quality and craftsmanship that goes into making every tent.
We also have high standards that Ryan and I have established for our
company and ourselves. We always ensure that the tents are clean,
installed correctly, and maintained throughout the event.
Most tent companies don’t have people at the event to deal with
unexpected circumstances. Any variables can easily be taken care of
when we are “on-site”.

Ryan and I are at every wedding, and we do our very best to ensure
the highest of standards. We have installed tents all over the country,
as well as in Mexico, Turks and Caicos, and the Bahamas.
If you want one of our tents, we will travel! We are always looking
ahead to the next tenting season and are excited to keep adding new
handmade Sperry products and growing with our employees.
Taking on Sperry Tents Colorado wasn’t easy. Ryan and I sacrificed
many family events, such as weddings and birthdays, to prioritize our
business. We were fortunate to have each other, and our experience
in the industry to keep us moving forward.

We also had our carpentry skills learned from building houses with our
uncle in Telluride. We were able to build, sand, stain and finish our
whole inventory of flooring by hand. We also finished our wooden
support poles for the tents.

We have overcome challenges by finding employees who understand
our standards and are willing to work long hours, travel, and take
initiative. Our business relies on hardworking, thoughtful employees.
They are the backbone of our business, and we would be nothing
without our staff.

Ryan and want the world to know that if you are getting married in
Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Montana, or anywhere in the
Rockies we have the tent for you. Sperry Tents Colorado will ensure
your dreams are realized, and your event will be unforgettable.
Sperry Tents is the only actual sailcloth tent in the world. The
company has a long, respected tradition of handmade sails in New
England. The craftsmanship and pride that goes into making every
one of our tents is unrivaled and genuine.

The pride and thought we put into raising our tents is genuine. Ryan
and genuinely I love what we do. We are very proud to have brought
Sperry Tents to Colorado. Now bring us to your celebration and enjoy
the “Sperry Glow” with your guests.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If I had friends visiting me in Colorado for a weekend, I would first take
them to Boulder, where I live! We would go to Pearl Street and do
some shopping. Afterwards, we would grab a drink on the roof at
Avanti and then grab a burger at Mountain and Sun Pub. Being from
the northeast, we have to swing by Ben and Jerry’s for an after-dinner
ice cream, then early to bed.
The following day starts with a walk with my dog Ruckus at
Chautauqua Park before breakfast at my favorite Boulder spot,
Foolish Craigs. Then off to South Boulder Creek for some fly fishing;
from there, onto Denver for some Bluepan pizza, a favorite after living
in Telluride and getting spoiled with Brown Dog Pizza. After the best
pizza in the world, we might go to the Denver Botanical Garden. I’m
becoming a big plant nerd. Then off to a Rockies or Rapids game or, if
we’re fortunate, a Red Rocks show. For the Front Range, there are so
many unique places in Colorado to explore, hike, eat, and drink that
the list grows every day.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
We would like to shout out to our family. Our mom and dad have done
everything they could to support us through the early mornings, late
nights, and many long drives. We are grateful for our whole family.
Our Uncle Bill has housed and fed our employees when we were
doing a job nearby and always welcomed us into his home.
Bill’s son, our cousin Emmett who worked for us, and is now spending the
winter tenting with Flagship Events the sole provider of Sperry Tents
in New Zealand. We are thankful for our multiple cousins and our
younger brother Alex who have all worked tirelesly for us to help
Sperry Tents Colorado succeed. Our Family, whether they work for us
or not, have provided a lot of support that we would be nothing
without. We are beyond thankful for all of them.

Website: www.sperrytentscolorado.com

Instagram: @sperrytentscolorado