National parks are Xanterra's turf.

• Position: Attitude at Altitude

MANAGEMENT AT AURORA-BASED XANTERRA INC., THE COUNTRY'S largest concessionaire for national parks, knows that untamed, unspoiled nature is the cornerstone of its business. That's exactly why the company formalized its environmental commitment by hiring Chris Lane in 2000, a move that's paid big dividents ever since.

As director of environmental affairs, Lane helped earn Xanterra an Environmental Achievement Award from the Environmental Protection Agency earlier this year.

The company received the award for such programs as a lighting retrofit at Death Valley and the replacement of dirty fuel-oil boilers at Grand Canyon with cleaner propane ones. These changes not only significantly reduced pollution, they also positively impacted Xanterra's balance sheet by tempering energy consumption.

"When I came on board here, my goal from the start was simple: to make us a leader in our industry," said Lane, assessing his own efforts as a work in progress. "Compliance is second nature for us. We're trying to get beyond compliance to sustainability. That's our goal."

Formerly known as AmFac, Xanterra has more than 125 years of history under its belt, the current company being a product of a long line of acquisitions, spin-offs, and re-branding campaigns. It adopted its Colorado address after buying out its top competitor. TW Recreational Services, in 1995, to get a foothold in Yellowstone National Park.

Overall, Xanterra runs hotels, restaurants and other facilities and services in nine national parks and memorials, including the Everglades, Mount Rushmore and Crater Lake. The company employs 4,000 people year-round, including 120 at its Aurora headquarters and 8,000 during the peak season of summer.

President and CEO Andy Todd said...