Anthony Dominguez and Nate Harner have worked plenty of jobs and some have been fulfilling. Dominguez was a medical caregiver and Harner is a musician in Fort Collins.
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But both men were caught a little off guard by the accolades heaped on them after they started installing Christmas lights this fall for Humbug Holiday Lighting. The north metro company鈥檚 motto is 鈥淎ll The Magic Without The Hassle鈥� and people are more than joyful to let Humbug take the complicated and sometimes dangerous task of hanging Christmas lights out of their hands.
鈥淧eople are just so happy to see us,鈥� said Dominguez, who recently carefully lined up a string of colorful lights outside of a home in north Broomfield. 鈥淭hey are so grateful鈥t just seems what we do makes people smile.鈥�
鈥淥ne customer was so happy for what we did for them, she baked us a plate of cookies,鈥� Harner said. 鈥淚 have never seen that before.鈥�
This is Humbug鈥檚 first year in the Christmas lighting business and owner Brad Goins said he is still dealing with the joy he is spreading.
鈥淚鈥檝e enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would,鈥� Goins said. 鈥淭hey are all just so incredibly excited to see us. It鈥檚 just something super special for them.鈥�
As of late November, Humbug had serviced 60 homes. Most are in the north Denver metro area, but Goins thinks the company鈥檚 reach will soon stretch further south and beyond.
鈥淭his business is going to grow. There is such a demand,鈥� he said.
Natalie 鈥� the Broomfield homeowner 鈥� said she and her family have hung Christmas lights for the past 15 years. This year, her husband announced he no longer wanted to take the risk.
鈥淗e鈥檚 afraid of heights, and he didn鈥檛 want to do it anymore,鈥� she said.
Natalie, who asked that her last name not be used, contacted Humbug which relies on online marketing as well as signs planted on the side of roadways to advertise their services.
鈥淭his is so great. You guys are great,鈥� Natalie told the Humbug crew. 鈥溾�he best part that no one has to be hurt.鈥�
Goins said worries over safety usually prompt people to call for his company鈥檚 services. It has led to the overall growth of the Christmas light industry in Colorado and elsewhere, Goins said.
鈥淧eople call and say, 鈥榊ou really do this?鈥欌�� Goins said. 鈥淎 lot of people still don鈥檛 realize we鈥檙e out there.鈥�
A typical installation may take up to four hours and the price tag to let professionals handle the work also widely varies, according to Goins and other light installers contacted by Colorado Community Media.
A two-story home may cost about $500, especially if it has been fitted for lights before. Some larger and more elaborate homes may cost a few thousand to fit.
But many homeowners and businesses are more willing to pay for the installation just so they can forego the hassles of hanging their own lights.
鈥淲hen we do it, that means for homeowners there is no more climbing ladders or untangling lights. Who wants to do that during the holidays?鈥� Goins said.
Most of the people who call for professional light installers are wives who no longer want their husbands climbing ladders and potentially hurting themselves, said Chris Rhodes, co-owner of Window Genie, which hangs Christmas lights in Arvada, Brighton, Denver, East Lake and Wheat Ridge.
The company just finished decorating a home in Greenwood Village for 鈥渁 few thousand dollars,鈥� Rhodes said.
鈥淎 lot of guys say 鈥極h no, I can do it. I can do it,鈥欌�� Rhodes said. 鈥淭he wives are saying 鈥榃ell let鈥檚 get someone else to do it.鈥欌��
A generational shift is also fueling the growth of professional Christmas cheer installers, Goin said.
Baby boomers are aging out of stringing lights, especially for homes that are more than one story, he said.
鈥淭he generations after Baby Boomers are more than willing to let someone else do it for them,鈥� Goins said. 鈥淧lus, they want to do something elaborate, something they can be proud of.鈥�
Humbug professionals consult with homeowners before they start work on a home, Goins said.
鈥淧rofessionals create a stunning and customized lighting design tailored to your home鈥檚 unique architecture,鈥� states to the Humbug website.
Humbug workers do the installation, takedown and storage.
鈥淟icensed, insured, and OSHAS-certified technicians ensure the job is done safely, reducing the risk of accidents,鈥� according to the Humbug website.
鈥淭he company uses commercial-grade lights and materials that are more durable and brighter than standard store-bought lights,鈥� Goins said.
Some homeowners bring out their own lights and offer to let Humbug use those instead, Goins said.
鈥淲e always say no,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey almost always have some lights that are broken and need to be replaced.鈥�
Humbug will also adjust or repair their display as needed to keep their house displays looking ideal, he said.
鈥淲e take a lot of pride in what we do and we want to make our customers happy,鈥� Goins said.
Many of Window Genie鈥檚 100 or so Christmas light customers are those who already use the company鈥檚 window cleaning services, Rhodes said.
Christmas light installation is the second most lucrative part of the business, said Rhodes, adding that by Thanksgiving the company is done with Yuletide services.
鈥淚t鈥檚 become a big part of our business,鈥� Rhodes said. 鈥淲e get customers coming back every year, wanting the whole Christmas treatment.鈥�
Window Genie 鈥� based out of Thornton 鈥� installs LED lights, programmable RGB lights and remote-controlled lights, Rhodes said.
The company also offers a three-year, no-worries warranty on all maintenance and storage of customer lights. Window Genie鈥檚 methods are more meticulous than the typical 鈥淯ncle Bob鈥� approach of just wrapping up lights in a haphazard manner and tossing them into a corner of the basement or work shed, Rhodes said.
Each customer鈥檚 strand is carefully wrapped up and includes a small map that informs installers where each light goes next year, Rhodes said.
Window Genie also carefully screens employees for their ladder skills, he said.
鈥淚f we see someone white knuckle a ladder, we won鈥檛 use them,鈥� Rhodes said.