In ski culture, the chairlift has always been more than just a way to get uphill. It is where powder plans are made, friendships are built, and quiet moments in the mountains tend to stick with you long after the season ends. For those interested in owning a chairlift for either aesthetic or functional purposes, the process has traditionally depended on waiting for a ski area to decommission a lift and then securing a unit through auction.
Today, however, there is a more accessible option available on the open market—an opportunity made possible through the work of a man named Drew Loring. For him, those special moments on a chairlift became the foundation for a business that blends craftsmanship, creativity, and a deep connection to skiing.
Based in Whitefish, Montana, Loring is the owner and builder behind Alpenglow Ski Chair Company. His work centers around hand-built ski lift-inspired chairs that are designed to live far beyond the mountain. What started as an experiment has quickly turned into a growing niche business, with his pieces now showing up in homes, lodges, rentals, and ski towns across the country.
Finding a Niche in a Crowded Industry
Loring’s path into this business was not exactly planned. After relocating from the Sierra Nevada in California to Montana, he found himself surrounded by an already saturated market of welders and metal fabricators.
“I realized that I needed to find a niche in my trade,” Loring said in an interview with SnowBrains. “Something to set me apart from the hundreds of other similar businesses here in the valley. That’s when I thought of trying my hand at ski lift furniture.”
That moment pushed him to think differently about what he could build. Years earlier, he had created a custom swing using a real ski lift chair from his home mountain, and the project stuck with him. “That stood out as one of my favorite projects because I’ve always had a love for functional art,” Loring said. “It was a cool way to preserve ski history and create a space for nostalgia.”
With that idea in mind, he took a leap. In the summer of 2024, he posted a listing on Facebook Marketplace using a photo of that original chair, even though he did not have inventory or a clear plan. “I didn’t have any authentic chairs, I didn’t even have a plan,” he said. “I just knew if someone took the bait, I would figure it out.”
It did not take long. A customer reached out, and Loring quickly sourced materials, bought the tools he needed, and built his first replica chair from scratch. After delivering it and seeing the reaction, he knew he was onto something. “I was able to install it at the customer’s house, and he was stoked,” Loring said. “I took the pictures from this custom piece, put those on another Facebook Marketplace ad, and the thing started snowballing.”
Within a few months, word spread. Orders started coming in from around the country, and what began as a one-off project quickly turned into steady demand. He built only a handful of chairs that first year, then around 35 the following year, and the momentum has continued to grow.
Loring’s marketing strategy has been simple. “I have a Shopify storefront and have continued to utilize Facebook Marketplace. Most people just stumble upon my website from a Google search or find me on Instagram @alpenglowskichairco. Up until recently, I didn’t use any methods of paid marketing, but I’ve started to dive more into the world of real business marketing and have been making some moves there to make sure people are finding me when they have ski chair needs.”
Built by Hand in the Montana Woods
Every chair that comes out of Loring’s shop is made by hand. Although there are several standard models to choose from on the company website, his process is equal parts technical and creative, starting with a conversation rather than a template. “I really put an emphasis on full customization,” he said. “I offer chairs in any custom dimensions, powder-coated in thousands of different colors, custom-stained wood benches, and custom hanging solutions. I want the piece to fit the space and feel intentional.”
Customers come to him with all kinds of ideas. Some have detailed plans from interior designers, while others bring rough sketches or just a general vision. From there, Loring translates those ideas into something tangible. He sources raw steel from local suppliers, then heads to his workshop outside Whitefish, where the real work begins. Using a hydraulic press and tube bender, he shapes the metal components before welding everything together into the final frame. Once the structure is complete, he builds out the seating using durable hardwoods, often sourced from local mills. The process is hands-on from start to finish. It usually takes a couple of full days to complete a chair once the design is finalized, though the planning and customization phase can take much longer depending on the project.
One of the more challenging aspects is working remotely with clients across the country. “I often work off of napkin sketches,” he said. “Getting everything exactly to spec without ever seeing the space in person can be tough, but I love the challenge. I often feel a little bit of stress after shipping the chair, that something may be off or misaligned. Up to this point, though, thankfully, everything has been spot-on, and customers have been happy.”
From Ski Hills to Living Rooms
While many of Loring’s chairs are custom-built replicas, he also works with authentic, decommissioned lift chairs. These pieces carry their own history, and part of his work involves giving them a second life. “So many people own old chairs that are just collecting dust,” he said. “It brings me joy to offer a way to bring them back to life.”
His customer base is wide-ranging. Some are homeowners looking to add a unique piece to a mountain property. Others are short-term rental owners trying to create a memorable experience that stands out. It is safe to say that his two and three-seater styles end up in mountain homes, Airbnb’s, and mountain lodges all over the country. “So far, my customer base is entirely in the U.S.,” he said. “I have had several inquiries from other countries, but the cost to ship has been a roadblock for people. I did send a custom chair to Kauai this last fall, which I would have never expected.”
His work has also made its way into commercial spaces and high-end brand events in places like Vail, Aspen, and Park City. “I do believe the demand has been growing,” Loring said. “A lot of people want something that ties into ski culture but also feels like art.”
One of his more memorable builds was a custom chair designed for a ski-in, ski-out home, finished with a heavily weathered look and built using 150-year-old barn wood. The twist was where it ended up being installed. “It was hung in the bathroom of a multi-million-dollar ski-in, ski-out mansion,” he said. “That one definitely stands out.”
More Than Just a Chair
At its core, Alpenglow Ski Chair Company is not just about furniture. It is about capturing a feeling that every skier and snowboarder knows well.
“Nostalgia,” Loring said when asked what he hopes people feel when they sit in one of his chairs. “Some of my favorite moments and conversations have happened on chairlifts. These chairs should be a place where those memories flood back. Memories of landing first tricks, best pow days, good times with friends.”
That connection is rooted in his own background. Loring has spent years working in and around the ski industry, including time as a park crew member, snowcat operator, and freestyle snowboard coach. Those experiences shaped his appreciation for the culture and community that exist around skiing and riding. Even now, as the business continues to grow, he is intentional about maintaining that lifestyle. “I’ve always had a lot of different jobs,” he said. “But being self-employed makes room for taking pow days off, which I also hope to be able to do for a very long time.”
Despite the early success, Loring is not chasing rapid expansion or trying to turn the business into something it is not. He is focused on continuing to build pieces as a one-man shop that feel personal and meaningful. “I’ve always been more of an artist than a builder,” he said. “When someone comes to me with a wild idea, that’s what excites me. I don’t think most of my customers realize how grateful I am for that opportunity. It’s more so about the fact that I can make a living doing something I’m passionate about.”
For now, that means continuing to refine his craft, take on new projects, and send pieces of ski culture out into the world one chair at a time. In a sport where so much of the experience happens between runs, it feels fitting that something as simple as a chairlift seat can carry so much meaning. Through his work, Loring is finding a way to bring those moments off the mountain and into everyday life, giving them a place to live long after the last run of the day.
