With one summer under their belts, A to Z Chauffeurs Caleb Dvorak and Karl Rempe prepare for first winter on the road
By Jack Reaney SENIOR EDITOR
Caleb Dvorak keeps a running list of possible business ideas in his phone, from local Big Sky opportunities to nationwide ventures. He already operates a snow shoveling business in Big Sky, Mountain Lion Snow Removal, but the gears are always turning.
His friend Karl Rempe was looking for work in early 2024, and wanted to do something entrepreneurial beyond his retail and marketing side hustle, Big Sky Summer. Rempe shared a few brainstorms with Dvorak.
“I saw that there was a little bit of, in my mind, a market gap in transportation in Big Sky,” Dvorak said, so they started seriously considering a transportation catch-all business—from airport rides to local bar pick-ups—and agreed to “jump right in,” Dvorak said.
They launched A to Z Chauffeurs in May.
“We’re excited to be here in Big Sky, and see what we can do. And how much of a name we can make for ourselves here,” Dvorak said. Rempe added they’re proud to be locally-owned, unlike some competitors.
Dvorak wants any community member, from club members to visitors, to feel comfortable and excited to ride with A to Z. They purchased two SUVs: a 2018 Lincoln Navigator—Dvorak and Rempe both rave about its comfort and handling, its sound system and bells and whistles—and a 2021 Chevrolet Suburban. Both are equipped with winter tires and large roof racks for luggage, and chauffeurs carry satellite phones for off-grid areas including the Gallatin Canyon.
Rides between the Bozeman airport and Big Sky are the bulk of A to Z’s business. After their first summer, they’re confident that buying a second car—the Suburban—was the right move. Dvorak said it’s frustrating when they can’t keep up with requests.
“It was definitely worth making that decision early on in this business,” Dvorak said.
Rempe added that they’ll do anything that requires driving.
“We’ll drop off groceries, we’ll drop off flowers,” Rempe said. “But yeah, the big focus is definitely airport rides. That seems to be the biggest need—or the biggest want, too.”
He believes some people want to travel privately, on their own time, in a comfortable and safe environment.
For rides around Big Sky, the chauffeurs believe A to Z is perfect for the trip between Moonlight Basin and Lone Mountain Ranch, for example—it’s only 10 or 15 minutes, but some visitors might prefer not to drive, or don’t have a rental car.
The chauffeurs got to meet a lot of people in their first summer, and they learned from some early mistakes in a new industry.
“It’s a high-trust business,” Rempe said. “So just building that rapport is something that… we have a much better understanding after having a full season under our belts.”
They look forward to setting a benchmark in their first winter season, and learning how to deal with ski travel challenges including flight delays and slow-moving—or stopped—winter traffic.
The service will bring its challenges, but Dvorak said he truly enjoys driving and he’s grateful to get paid to do it.
Flannel-wearing local informants
The chauffeurs are keen on balancing professionalism with humor.
“We don’t want to be white glove, bow tie drivers,” Rempe said. “We’d rather be flannel-wearing, make a good joke—tastefully, of course—and kind of be the vibe of Big Sky.”
They thrive on being the first face that visitors see in Montana.
“It’s nice to—whether I do a good job or not—set the tone for what they’ll expect in Big Sky in the week that they’re here,” Dvorak said, grinning. “… It’s also nice driving people that have lived here for four years or have a second home here, and have a good idea what’s going on, because we can connect a little bit on a deeper level there too.”
Rempe enjoys giving recommendations for restaurants, parks, trails, ski runs and more. “It’s definitely rewarding to feel like you can be a knowledge base for people,” he said.
Even when they aren’t picking up clients, Rempe and Dvorak don’t take themselves too seriously. They proudly recall that when they launched in May, they bought their own ribbon and cut it themselves.
Dvorak was honest about the way they chose their business name: they primarily chose “A to Z” so it would appear at the top of any alphabetized list. Of course, they also wanted a local connection, and Big Sky Resort’s extreme A to Z Chutes worked perfectly.
Plus, Dvorak said there’s too many local businesses with “Lone Peak” or “Big Sky” in their names, so they wanted to think outside the box. He also coined a slogan:
“A to Z Chauffeurs gets you from A to B,” Dvorak said. He typically reserves that tongue-in-cheek slogan for friends. But now, the word is out.
