Les and Linda Liman
by Dan Greeson
This article originally appeared in theWinter 2025-26 issue of Art with Altitude.
Les Liman arrived in Steamboat Springs in December 1969 with modest ambitions: find a job, ski a little and enjoy mountain life after his time in the Army. He was hired as a cook at the Thunderhead Inn—a job that lasted just one week before he was laid off due to sparse bookings.
What happened next became one of Steamboat’s greatest entrepreneurial success stories. Les’s roommate needed help hauling trash for his job, and Les agreed, trading his Ford Mustang for a used Chevy pickup and making his first run to a nearby dump. That humble beginning in 1971 grew into Twin Enviro Services, a company Les sold in June 2024 after 53 years in the waste business.
Les’s first customer? Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School and Camp, where founders Portia Mansfield and Charlotte Perry were staging a production of Fiddler on the Roof. They invited the 25-year-old trash hauler to perform in the show, sparking decades of Les giving back to the arts organization.
The growth of Les’s business was aided by Irlan Neas and Del Scott, owners of Routt County Bank, who arranged Small Business Administration—guaranteed loans largely based on their confidence in Les’s potential to succeed. This early support shaped his views on philanthropy. “They showed such great generosity to me,” he says. “And I wanted to give back.”
Les and his wife, Linda, have made that philosophy central to their lives. “We started talking about being able to give to the community while we’re still alive, so that we can see the impact that giving can make in people’s lives,” Linda says.
The Limans have supported a wide range of local organizations —including the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club (SSWSC,) Perry-Mansfield, Old Town Hot Springs, Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest Colorado, Reaching Everyone Preventing Suicide and Har Mishpacha, which they helped found in the early 1970s. Their most prominent contribution is the SSWSC Liman Mountain Center, a training facility at Steamboat Resort that opened in December 2023. They also started an Endowment Fund for Har Mishpacha to ensure the continuity of a Jewish congregation in Northwest Colorado.
In addition, the Limans established the Liman Family Scholarship Fund for Routt County students who have overcome adversity. “Anything that provides for people who wouldn’t otherwise have these opportunities—that aligns with our values,” Linda says.
The couple prioritize Jewish organizations, as well as those that provide opportunities for young people, immigrant communities and individuals struggling with mental health challenges. Immigrant support is especially meaningful to them, as both come from Eastern European families who immigrated to America before the Holocaust. “We’re all immigrants, and we all deserve a chance to succeed and escape horrible situations,” Linda says.
Les and Linda remain in awe of the journey they’ve taken. “To come here and start a business picking up trash and have it become enormously successful… it was kind of like someone was looking out for me,” Les reflects.
“He comments pretty much every day how blessed we are,” Linda adds. “Nothing is ever taken for granted. He’s just happy with these opportunities—and helping others to have them, too.”
After more than five decades in Steamboat Springs, the Limans have found their greatest fulfillment in giving back. From that first trash run to funding world-class ski facilities, their legacy of generosity will continue to shape the Steamboat community for generations to come.
Elevate the Arts: Give what you can and never take a day for granted. DG
