Video available in French only
Patrick Lamothe, President of the Gestion Altitude investor group that founded the Altitude Gym indoor rock climbing facility, is first and foremost a career military man with close to 20 years with National Defence Canada.
“I’m nuts about climbing, and I had already been looking into this market for several years because I was disappointed by what was available in the region. When I put the idea of creating an international calibre indoor rock climbing gym on the table, everyone just jumped on board,” he reports.
The project became a reality in October 2010, with the opening of Altitude Gym. The rock climbing facility is located in the former Saint-Raymond de Pennafort church in Gatineau.
The business has 27 employees, many of whom are rock climbing instructors; competitive teams have already been put together. “We have some very high-calibre competitive climbers. My goal is to rival the climbers from out west who have spent their lives climbing the Rockies.”
Within months Altitude Gym surpassed its projections on attendance and revenues, to the point where a second rock climbing facility is already in the company’s short-term plans.
The Altitude Gym concept took shape during Mr. Lamothe’s business travels. He took advantage of these opportunities to assess a whole range of rock climbing facilities, from Utah to New Zealand, and made it his mission to attend several congresses on the subject.
His tremendous passion for climbing enabled him to convince 10 other people to join in his adventure. “We are 11 partners, many of whom are passionate about climbing, while the others are still new to the sport,” he explains. “Our group has an equal number of Anglophones and Francophones from different parts of the country. I think that this kind of diversity allows for a wide range of perspectives, which encourages us to develop a product that suits a wide audience.”
This military man, who splits his time between military life and the rock climbing gym, also has a paintball business in Guananoque, Ontario. “I have already been through the business partnership experience, and I know that from time to time things can get tense between associates,” explains Mr. Lamothe. “This is why this time, I carefully selected partners who put friendship ahead of money.”
Indispensable backing
It took only one visit to the Saint-Raymond de Pennafort church to convince Patrick Lamothe and his partners. The building’s tall windows let in natural light, something he was adamant about.
However, buying a church is a particularly complex undertaking. Zoning changes were required. “We had already bought the climbing equipment, and everything was about to be delivered,” explains Mr. Lamothe. “I got the opportunity to discuss the issue with Mayor Marc Bureau, and he was very understanding. He immediately directed us to the key people in the urban planning department and to the fire department. Even though the situation was rather complex, everything fell into place.”
The Centre financier aux entreprises Desjardins and the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) were also important allies. “They always gave us good advice. In fact the BDC helped us with our business plan. They were also the ones who informed us that the church was for sale.”
Climbing to serve the community
There are two types of climbing at Altitude Gym. The Clip ’N Climb concept, which was developed in New Zealand, uses coloured climbing structures where every route is based on a fun theme. The classic rock climbing gym, designed in Bulgaria, offers 17,000 square feet of climbing surfaces.
The doors soon opened to different local organizations to make the facility available to their various clients. This was how Les enfants de l’espoir came to get free climbing sessions, and discussions are under way with the La RessourSe centre to determine the possibility of developing adapted programs.
“For these clients, this is an outstanding opportunity to practice a sport that otherwise would be mostly beyond their reach,” adds Mr. Lamothe.
Pratical Information
-
What made you decide to start up this business?
I noticed that there was no major indoor rock climbing gym in Gatineau that let in natural light. So I decided to create the kind of rock climbing facility that I wanted.
-
Why Gatineau?
Because of the financial and technical assistance that was offered here in Gatineau. We received a lot of help from the municipality at every stage of the project, namely with the zoning change and the permits. Also, every time a problem came up, someone in the municipal administration would come up with solutions. As well, the fact that several outdoor rock climbing sites had been closed down in Gatineau Park represented an opportunity to offer climbers a climbing surface on our Rocktopia walls that looked and felt the same as the outdoor surfaces.
-
In your opinion, what advantages does Gatineau have over Ottawa?
Altitude Gym is ideally located because, on the one hand, we are in a part of the city where the commercial spaces are centralized. As well, this sector is close to three bridges, which makes it easy to reach for people coming from outside the city.
-
What are the advantages of working for yourself?
It’s a way to guide your destiny by creating your own opportunities. It means working hard every day, as any entrepreneur will tell you, but there are plenty of benefits, and not only financial ones. You should not underestimate the importance of the sense of achievement. That alone is worth all the gold in the world!
-
What surprised you the most about the business world?
The speed with which the business world moves! When the train comes, you have to jump on board fast. Potential and risk go hand in hand, so you have to stay on your toes. I also notice mutual assistance and experience sharing among entrepreneurs: it is not necessarily the jungle that people often imagine it to be.
-
To what do you attribute your business success?
Rock climbing is a field I know very well. I am hooked on it and I collected a lot of information and documentation before I got into business. As well, I love numbers. I am always analyzing different ways of looking at a situation. This enables me to quickly visualize the potential of a final product.
-
What were your toughest challenges, and how did you overcome them?
My previous experiences have taught me that everything has to be built on solid foundations, such as trust, transparency and sharing. Group dynamics can become complex if these three qualities are not shared by the team. Human resources also require a lot of energy. There is often no easy way to set up a business culture where everyone can grow while buying into the organization’s vision and rules.
-
What does it take to succeed in business today?
For a business like Altitude Gym, which works with a group of shareholders, you need excellent group dynamics. This is achieved by gathering people with different backgrounds around you, and in the group you need some good mediators. These key people are very useful when it comes to dealing with the more sensitive topics. Of course, you need good ideas, and leadership to quickly take them from concept to reality. Personally, I find it easy to get my ideas across and to convince people to join me. This quality also has its flip side! If the idea is lousy, it can be rather dangerous. This is why I need at least two people on the team who are not afraid to tell me that I am wrong, even in front of the whole group if necessary. In my opinion, there is no room for overactive egos or for thinking that you are the one person in the group who has the market cornered when it comes to the truth.
-
What advice would you give someone who is thinking of starting up a business?
Often, the first reflex is to go to the Internet. But there is so much information there that you can lose yourself in it. The best thing to do is to meet with experts as quickly as possible. The resources are there, but unfortunately often nobody knows about them.
-
How did Développement économique – CLD Gatineau contribute?
The staff at DE – CLDG served as our advisors in holding the project together. They also helped us analyze the financial proposals on the table, and supported us through our efforts to get the money we needed to cover our financing requirements.
Click here to see all stories
- « DE – CLDG is there to serve entrepreneurs who have a business idea. For additional information, call 819-595-8002. Our services are free and confidential.
