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Alpine Cleaning and Restoration has a long company history. In 1979, company owner Rich Brown was introduced to the cleaning business. At 12 years old, Rich took a job with a friend from church who owned a janitorial company that cleaned commercial buildings. After a year and a half, the owner relocated, Rich approached the four doctors and assumed the existing cleaning contract. The business also grew during that time, adding several banks and loan offices to the nightly cleaning route. Along with a paper route, the cleaning business continued until Rich graduated from high school in 1985. After high school graduation, Rich enlisted in the South Carolina National Guard on the College Assistance Program and G.I. Bill to create a way to pay for college. Four weeks after High School graduation, he left for Fort Benning, Georgia for Basic Training. During this time, Rich hired his brother Gary to run the janitorial business and paper route. Upon return, Rich attended University of South Carolina at Spartanburg to improve grades and earn enough transfer credits to go to a major university. In 1988, Rich moved to Boone, North Carolina and started college at Appalachian State University, majoring in Business Management. He resumed the cleaning business by starting Alpine Carpet Cleaning with a portable carpet cleaning machine, purchased from his father, and a worn 1979 Chevrolet truck. Throughout college, he cleaned carpets and established accounts with property owners around the campus. He was also enrolled in the Army ROTC officer candidate program that provided additional funds for college expenses. He graduated in December 1991 with a major in Business Management and a minor in Real Estate. He was also commissioned as a second lieutenant in the North Carolina National Guard. Immediately following graduation, he left for six months of officer training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri to complete training requirements of his Army ROTC obligation. In July of 1991, he returned to Boone to pursue Alpine Cleaning as a full time career. He bought a used truck mount machine and started carpet cleaning out of the basement of his rented house. In the ten years since then, Alpine has grown into a full service cleaning and restoration service that provides all services related to cleaning and restoration of fire and water damaged structures. Rich and Denise Brown are both licensed general contractors and are determined to continue to grow the company in years to come. They have two children, Madison (7) and Allison (5).