Face First into Business

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Created on Friday, 28 September 2012 17:34

Written by Brian Stone

BURKE - Steve Mahon started designing his own winter face masks to keep himself warm as he groomed the trails at Burke Mountain. Now in his third year of production, Mahon's hobby, which he started to keep himself warm on Burke Mountain, has evolved into Face, Mahon's own winter face mask brand.

Starting with a simple idea, Mahon has worked through challenges and developed his business and brand out by himself.

"They make all these books on [business]," Mahon said, "but nothing is really specific to what you need and plus it's the whole self motivation thong. After a long day of work I don't necessarily want to come back home and keep working, but it's become a passion, something I love to do and something I know I can't give up on."

Mahon's simple design for a product will be getting an upgrade this year. Mahon has recently added a new high temperature heat press and large scale printer. These upgrades allow him to add different images to the fabric, as well as produce them more quickly.

At the moment Mahon is the sole operator of Face, hand making every mask himself. With his masks already for sale at Burke, Sugarbush and Bolton Valley, Mahon does see the potential for even more expansion, perhaps even beyond making face masks.

"I'm really hoping to branch out to do other promotional printing," Mahon said, "and to almost start helping other companies get all set up with everything, as well as start employing people and having a shop to work in."

Mahon said that his next goal is to focus and capitalize on the recent purchase of Burke by Jay Peak.