The name Atlas Construction comes from the brilliant novel of the late Russian born American author Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. There are many valuable messages throughout this and all of her works, however one of the basic premises is accountability and integrity. At Atlas Construction, Inc. we hold ourselves and our sub contractors to this core belief.
Atlas Construction was founded in 1999 by Chris and Leif Counter. Our team has completed many commercial and residential projects throughout the Vail Valley, as well as other areas of Colorado. Since opening for business a decade ago, Chris and Leif have launched Atlas Construction into the top tier of the most valued contractors in the area. The primary focus of Atlas Construction for the past 6 years has been remodels and additions however the expertise of the team expands to all areas of construction and development. Atlas Construction is eager whenever possible to incorporate green building practices and have been active members of the U.S. Green Building Council since 2003.
Chris and Leif were born on the island of St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands where their father, architect, Tom Counter, was designing homes. Exposure to the construction industry at such an early age pushed them toward the building trade, to projects on Martha’s Vineyard, St. Croix and Miami, Florida after the devastating destruction of Hurricane Andrew. Before they decided on the Vail Valley, and ultimately the establishing of Atlas Construction, they partnered with their father in St. Croix completing design build projects and considered the most advantageous location given their experience in the industry thus far. Vail and the resort approach to construction seemed like a perfect fit.
The personal manner the Counters have taken with their clients, as well as their can-do attitude, commitment to communication and attention to quality has been appreciated by their customers as demonstrated through the working relationships created and maintained by the many repeat and word-of-mouth clientele. The passion they have for a career toward which they’ve dedicated their lives is evident the moment they step on a job site. Having done so many of the various trades of construction, they enthusiastically get dirty with hands-on style training and explanation to accomplish the ultimate goal of achieving their customer’s desired results. This hands-on method of operation and personal responsibility ensures they remain on top of the competition.With an open-book policy on budgets, bids, hours, materials and other expenses Atlas achieves superior communication with customers, as well as its dedicated network of skilled craftsmen throughout the United States. This style of business preserves the integrity of the company, the trust of its clients and is reminiscent of the organic practice of hand-shake partnerships.
Atlas has been featured in several publications, including House and Home Magazine in which an editorial honored their achievement of removing 350 cubic yards of dirt and rock from beneath a Vail Mountain home creating a living space including a bedroom, two bathrooms, a media room and a laundry room.
As one of the most respected names in the valley, with working relationships with the top designers, real estate agencies and architects including, Slifer Designs, Miller Design Resources, Worth Interiors, Western Design, Peak Interiors, Kanda Design, Vail Realty, and Lodge Properties just to name a few, Atlas prides itself on it’s reputation. Give us a call and see if we’re right for your next project.
We are very excited to have added our father, Architect, Thomas Counter to the Atlas Team. If one were asked to design a broad ranging background for a career in architecture and land planning, the career experience of Thomas Edward Counter would have been the perfect venue.
Tom has been a designer and builder of residential and commercial buildings for the past forty years. His experience in construction management, land planning, engineering and interior design shows up in his successful manner with clients, planning and building officials, consultants and contractors... and, of course, in his buildings.
An initial career experience with eleven years working in all phases of architectural, structural, civil design an surveying gives Tom a broad background possessed by few in the profession.
Several years working with developers in Vail, Hawaii, the Virgin Islands, California, Miami FL and Massachusets resort areas has enriched his knowledge of what successful design requires.
He was one of the pioneers in environmental planning in Martha's Vineyard. Tom worked with MIT and Harvard planners, while planning thousands of acres for limited development, preservation of natural beauty and resources there over a period of fifteen years. Specific and detailed site planning for top-end homes was key to the success of these developments.
His most recent focus in Hospitality and Interior Design is with Slifer Designs, the third largest top-end world renowned interior design firm in the U.S.. As Senior Project Architect he enjoyed a successful eight-year finishing school for his profession.
From simple decks to more elaborate kitchen and bath renovations and entire guts, restructures, and additions, Atlas Construction has the team and experience to handle any and every type of construction. We work together with your architect and/or designer or we can recommend others with whom we have working relationships. We compile a list of bids from our extensive group of sub-contractors and, through our open-book policy, share the numbers as well as our experience to create the perfect fit for your individual project. 
We are pleased to include some kind words from previous and current customers. For additional references and information, contact our office and speak with one of the owners, Chris or Leif. They will be happy to furnish a list upon request. We've even added a letter from a former employee which is not a very standard practice however we felt it was too nice to not post.