MILWAUKEE, WI — The date was January 14, 2000. Lee Curtes remembers it like it was yesterday. The location was high atop a mountain in Vail, CO. Curtes and his friends were preparing to ski down one of the newly opened slopes in this popular resort area.
Before that day, Curtes, the co-owner of Auer Steel & Heating Supply Co., had been experiencing chest pains and discomfort, much of it related to job stress. “This business can get to you,” he said.