What Vertical Solutions does

Vertical Solutions, founded in 2007 and headquartered at 1450 S 400 W in Salt Lake City, Utah, designs, manufactures, and installs custom indoor climbing walls, flooring, and holds for commercial climbing gyms across North America. Its core technology consists of three proprietary wall systems — ARC (curved), MLM (Multi-Layer Modular), and SLM (Single Layer Modular) — built primarily from Baltic birch hardwood via CNC precision manufacturing at its SLC facility, with on-site assembly performed by in-house field crews. The company also operates three wholly-owned sub-brands that vertically integrate adjacent capabilities: Proxy Climbing (in-house production of climbing holds using a proprietary hollow-back pouring process for over 15 independent brands), Habit Flooring (custom-fitted bouldering pads and route flooring produced with 3D laser scanning), and Sugarhouse Holds (an indoor climbing hold label founded in 2018). A separate Custom Projects division extends beyond climbing into custom millwork and architectural fabrication for integrated interior environments, including non-climbing builds such as Eddie Bauer flagship installations.

The business operates as a private, bootstrapped limited liability company (Vertical Solutions, LLC), with project-based revenue generated through custom quote-based engagements. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; each project is scoped to system type (ARC/MLM/SLM), square footage, and design complexity, and customers building walls with Vertical Solutions receive wholesale access to Proxy Climbing holds plus credit toward initial hold orders. The primary customer segment is commercial climbing gym operators (boutique bouldering gyms, multi-location chains like Vital Climbing Gym and Brooklyn Boulders), with secondary segments in family entertainment centers (e.g., Rush Funplex), educational institutions (e.g., Virginia Tech), and custom architectural clients. Go-to-market is an enterprise field-sales motion: direct engagement, custom quotes, on-site design collaboration, and bundled offerings including partner-supplied safety equipment (Petzl America), auto-belays (Head Rush Technologies/TruBlue), and fitness equipment (Freemotion Fitness). Sister-company The Front Climbing Club, also owned by CEO Dustin Buckthal, functions as a flagship demonstration project and operational headquarters.

Name

Vertical Solutions

Legal name

Vertical Solutions, LLC

Website

https://vsclimbinggyms.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Vertical Solutions designs, manufactures, and installs custom indoor climbing walls, flooring, and holds for commercial climbing gyms across North America from its Salt Lake City facility, serving gym operators, family entertainment centers, and educational institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Salt Lake City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Custom Climbing Wall Construction: Design, manufacture, and installation of custom climbing walls for commercial gyms. Projects include ARC, MLM, and SLM wall systems built from Baltic birch with in-house design and field crew installation. Revenue is project-based with custom quotes.
2. Habit Flooring Systems: Custom flooring solutions including bouldering pads (envelope and tarp systems) and route flooring. Uses 3D laser scanning for precise fit, with professional installation included.
3. Climbing Holds (Proxy Climbing): Wholesale pricing on climbing holds for Vertical Solutions wall customers. Pours holds in-house for over 15 independent brands. Customers receive significant credit toward initial hold orders as part of wall purchases.
4. Custom Fabrication: Beyond climbing walls, expanded into custom millwork and architectural fabrication for integrated interior environments. Includes front desks, benches, and specialty architectural elements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Vertical Solutions designs, manufactures, and installs custom climbing walls (ARC, MLM, SLM systems) built primarily from Baltic birch for commercial climbing gyms. The company also provides custom-fitted climbing flooring (Habit Flooring) using 3D laser scanning, wholesale climbing holds through its in-house Proxy Climbing division, and custom architectural millwork and integrated interior environments. All manufacturing occurs at its Salt Lake City facility and is installed by in-house field crews.

Product overview

Vertical Solutions is a full-service climbing gym builder offering a comprehensive, single-source portfolio of products and services. The core offerings include Custom Climbing Walls (built from Baltic birch with ARC curved and MLM geometric systems), Habit Flooring (custom-fitted using 3D laser scanning with bouldering pads and route flooring), and Proxy Climbing (in-house hold production division). The company also provides Custom Projects encompassing millwork and architectural fabrication, and offers the Single Layer Modular (SLM) wall system for cost-effective installations. All components can be packaged together for complete gym build-outs, with partnerships for auto-belays (Head Rush Technologies/TruBlue) and equipment (Petzl America, Freemotion Fitness). The company has operated since 2007, manufacturing everything in-house at their Salt Lake City facility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Proxy Climbing: In-house climbing hold production division that pours and distributes holds for over 15 independent brands
• Habit Flooring
• Sugarhouse Holds

Products and services

• Custom Climbing Walls Custom-designed climbing walls engineered to perform, built from Baltic birch hardwood with CNC precision manufacturing, featuring signature argyle diamond patterns and available in ARC (curved) and MLM (Multi-Layer Modular) configurations. Sold to commercial climbing gym owners and developers seeking distinctive, non-cookie-cutter wall environments.
• Habit Flooring Custom-fitted climbing gym flooring using 3D laser scanning technology, including bouldering pads (Envelope and Tarp systems) and route flooring with closed-cell foam and Invisi-Seam seamless surface, with ballistic nylon covering and up to 10-year lifespan. Served to commercial climbing gym operators building or upgrading facilities.
• Proxy Climbing (Climbing Holds) In-house climbing hold production and wholesale distribution division that pours holds using a proprietary hollow-back injection molding process yielding 10% stronger plastic and reduced material use. Offers wholesale pricing and credits toward initial hold orders for gym owners building walls with Vertical Solutions. Also produces holds for over 15 independent brands.
• Custom Projects (Architectural Fabrication & Millwork) Fully custom environments and architectural elements, including custom millwork, architectural fabrication, and integrated interior features, shaped around how a space is meant to function, feel, and perform. Sold to commercial clients (including flagship retail installations like Eddie Bauer) seeking unique architectural features with high craftsmanship.

Quantifiable outcome

• Projects completed across North America with various sizes from small university walls to 40,000+ sq ft facilities

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Petzl AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Petzl America provides climbing wall customers with access to professional rope access equipment and safety solutions. VS field crews receive training and equipment from Petzl Technical Institute. Petzl is featured in VS blog content and industry events like the Di'namik Bouldering Championships.
• Freemotion FitnessminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Freemotion Fitness rounds out the comprehensive gym building package, providing fitness equipment integration for VS-built facilities.
• Proxy ClimbingcoreTechnology or IntegrationProxy Climbing is the in-house climbing hold production and distribution division of Vertical Solutions. Pours holds in-house for over 15 independent brands using proprietary hollow-back process. Connected to VS wall projects through wholesale pricing and hold credits included with wall purchases. Website: proxyclimbing.com
• The Front Climbing ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Front Climbing Club is a sister company owned by Dustin Buckthal, co-owner of Vertical Solutions. Serves as VS's poster-child project demonstrating their capabilities. Multiple locations in Utah (Salt Lake City, South Main Millcreek, Ogden) showcase VS wall systems. The Front also serves as headquarters for Vertical Solutions and hosts industry events like the Di'namik Bouldering Championships.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Walltopia: The world's largest custom climbing wall manufacturer, headquartered in Bulgaria with global delivery. Directly competes with Vertical Solutions on full-scope commercial gym wall construction, including curved and modular systems, with a much larger international footprint.
• Entre-Prises: Long-established French climbing wall manufacturer and turnkey climbing solutions provider. Competes head-to-head with Vertical Solutions in custom commercial wall construction, including indoor and outdoor facilities for gyms, FECs, and institutions.
• Nicros: US climbing wall manufacturer and climbing holds producer. Competes with Vertical Solutions on both wall construction and with Proxy Climbing in the climbing holds market, mirroring VS's bundled wall-plus-holds strategy.
• So iLL: Independently owned climbing holds brand with in-house production and direct-to-consumer wholesale. Competes with Proxy Climbing in the boutique holds segment, particularly among gym operators seeking premium, design-forward hold lines.
• Atomik Climbing Holds: Specialty climbing holds manufacturer with a strong direct-to-gym wholesale model. Direct competitor to Proxy Climbing in poured holds, competing for the same gym customers across fresh buildouts and ongoing hold replacement cycles.
• Eldorado Climbing Walls: US-based climbing wall manufacturer serving commercial gyms with custom design, manufacturing, and installation. Direct competitor to Vertical Solutions across the North American market with comparable turnkey gym build services.

Emerging players

• Movement Climbing + Fitness: Growing climbing gym chain that operates multiple locations across the US. While primarily a gym operator, Movement brings substantial wall design and construction capability in-house, making it a partial vertical competitor to full-service builders like Vertical Solutions.

Others

• Trango: Long-time climbing equipment manufacturer spanning holds, training boards, and climbing hardware. Adjacent competitor to Proxy Climbing in holds and serves the same commercial gym buyer, but does not build climbing walls like Vertical Solutions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/verticalsolutionsclimbing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vertical Solutions