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In Matt Brennan's world, mountains exist to be climbed.
It's not a worldview shared by everyone. Some folks will go miles out of their way to find an easier route. Others will simply pitch their tent at the foot of the peak and be content to look up at the view. But Brennan, he's a "see you at the summit" kind of guy.
A note hangs on the wall of Brennan's office at Loveland Excavating Inc., the firm he founded in 1996 and runs as CEO, that seems to sum up his attitude. Attributed to "Anonymous," it says: "Those on top of the mountain did not fall there."
Far from it. The heights worth attaining, he has discovered, seem to be won one grueling step at a time. In 1923, famed mountaineer George Mallory immortally told a reporter he wanted to climb Mount Everest "because it's there."
Brennan follows a similar philosophy. Whether learning the excavation business from scratch, climbing the 19,340 feet to the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa or struggling to understand the mystery and frustration of his son's autism, Brennan has found the best solution is to strap on his gear and get moving.
"He loves a challenge and doesn't stop until he gets to the top," said Crystal Faulkner, a partner in downtown-based Cooney, Faulkner & Stevens.
Her firm handles accounting for Loveland Excavating and the Brennan Group, a land development and construction firm, and she serves on the board of advisers for the companies.
Andy Politz of Columbus, a well-known mountain guide who has spent more than two decades on the world's biggest peaks and has been to Mount Everest seven times, isn't surprised his childhood friend tackled climbing in the past few years.
"I have a vivid memory of Matt in kindergarten showing up at a wrestling match full of piss and vinegar, ready to kick ass and take names," said Politz, who was a member of the famed 1999 Mallory and Irvine Expedition on Everest "Even then he was very focused, and that came across from halfway across the gym."
That focus has been critical as Brennan has faced down challenges. Every summit, it turns out, has its own path. Some are reached 20,000 feet in...