Local Business: Meet Chris Schmick of Upper Limits

Have you ever looked at a wall and thought, “I’m gonna climb that?” Chris Schmick has! Patch recently caught up with Chris, owner of Upper Limits Rock Gym in St. Louis. We asked him what it’s like to own a small business with large walls and even bigger dreams.

What’s the best part of owning your own business?
The best part about owning a business is going to work each day to do something I love and am passionate about. Not only do I love my work, I get to share this passion with hundreds of members and guests that walk into our doors each day. I am really grateful to have helped build such a strong community of climbers that have become almost like family throughout the years.

How important is it for people to support independent business owners in their community?
It is so important for people to support independent local businesses. When you visit a local business you are keeping more money in your local economy, supporting local jobs, and encouraging community. Most of us that open small businesses didn’t do so because we wanted to be a business owner. We did it because we are passionate about cooking food, or cutting hair, or in our case, rock climbing. That’s why we got into business, not because we have an MBA. When you spend money at a local business, you are helping us to continue to provide for the community that you live, work, and play in.

When did you decide to go into business for yourself? Was it a dream come true?
When the local climbing gym went up for sale in Peru, IL, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to own our very own climbing facility. We took over the small gym with the intention to move to a larger location. My wife and I had just been married when we discovered our climbing gym was up for sale. With no immediate plans pending, we decided to go out on a limb and obtain a loan to purchase it. Before we knew it, we were the proud owners of a small but high class racquetball court climbing gym. It really was a dream come true.

Are there any traditions that have been passed down over the years that your business follows when it comes to pleasing the client?
We believe in building our community and doing our part to serve the citizens of our city. There are a few traditions that we have that are carried out year after year at our gyms. We host a free climbing night every year for the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization so that the children can come try out the walls with their Bigs. We also offer free climbing to military service members on certain days of the year, including Veterans’ Day, and each year we are able to donate approximately 300 pounds of food to the STL Area Foodbank through a canned food drive we hold every November. We do our best to give back to the community that has supported us for the last 14 years in St. Louis.

How do you ensure quality in your work?
It’s important to create a work environment for your employees that encourages trust, communication, and a sense of ownership. Our employees truly care about the success of the gym and providing the best possible service to our members and guests. We truly care how you are progressing in your climbing and want you to love rock climbing as much as we do. For this reason, our customers are receiving excellent service from our employees.

What makes for a good day at your business?
One of my favorite things to see during a day at the gym is someone getting introduced to the sport and falling in love with it. I know that as they become a member of our family here at Upper Limits and their climbing skills grow, they will build confidence, trust, focus, physical fitness and a love for the sport that will last a lifetime.

What makes the people who work for your business unique?
Our work family at Upper Limits all share one common bond: a passion for the sport of rock climbing. They share the same love and passion that our members and climbing community have for the sport, which makes working here not much like work at all. It’s so nice to have a group of people working under me that care so much about the service they are providing for our community.