Interview with Travis deLagerheim and Justin Greenbeck, owners
Q: How did you get involved in this business?
A: We have both always been fascinated with reptiles for as long as I can remember. When I was younger, I would go outside and catch snakes, frogs, toads and lizards. As we grew up, we both started keeping more exotic reptiles as pets and that eventually turned into breeding reptiles. We were both private reptile breeders for almost 10 years, Justin under the banner of Mile High Reptiles and I, Reptiles Inc. We focused mainly on vending the local Colorado reptile shows, selling animals online and shipping them all over the country. As our individual businesses grew, we decided to merge our two companies together and form Colorado Reptile Company and open our retail store. We opened our doors on Aug. 29, 2015.
Q: What distinguishes you from other businesses in your category?
A: Our level of dedication to these animals is unbeatable. If a tortoise is due to lay eggs, we will sleep at the store to make sure she lays them without any issues. If an animal is injured, we take it home with us so it can get round-the-clock care. If eggs are due to hatch, we are right there waiting as they break through the shell. We are reptile keepers first, and a pet store second. We love our customers, but our animals will always be top priority. We would much rather lose a sale than see an animal end up in a situation where it won’t receive the best possible care.
Q: What do you like best about your line of work?
A: Owning a reptile store gives us the chance to work with a lot of amazing animals that we personally keep as pets. These animals are kind of our reptile ambassadors that we get to use at shows to help educate people about reptiles. A lot of people are scared of reptiles simply because they don’t understand them or have never gotten the chance to interact with them. The best part of our job is when we can change someone’s perception of reptiles. Watching a kid’s face light up with excitement when they get to hold an animal makes the blood, sweat and tears that we put into this company worth it.
Q: What is your business’ biggest challenge?
A: There are a lot of special interest groups who are trying to ban the private ownership of reptiles. These groups rarely base anything off science and instead spread a lot of misinformation about reptiles using scare tactics. There is always a level of uncertainty about what could happen in the future. Luckily, the reptile industry has a great voice to speak for us called USARK (United States Association of Reptile Keepers) that helps fight for our rights to keep these animals and overturn these laws.
Q: Something people might be surprised to learn about you or your business:
A: A lot of the animals for sale in our store are animals that we have personally bred ourselves. We produce anywhere from 300 to 450 animals a year.
Profile
Business: Colorado Reptile Company
Address: 7827 W. Jewell Ave., Lakewood
Hours: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday
Founded: 2015
Contact: 720-519-0667
Employees: 2
