Silvertip Design and Gifts changing leadership

PALMER — Silvertip Design and Gifts is undergoing a change in leadership. The original owner Ron Richards sold his small business to Kyle VanTassel who runs a new local nonprofit called Opportunity House.

VanTassel said that he’s enjoyed the transition process and learning how to run Richards’ iconic small business located in downtown Palmer.

“It's been fun, a lot of learning," VanTassel said.

Opportunity House is a new nonprofit that was established towards the beginning of 2024. It focuses on supporting locals in need through various programs such as job placement and workplace skill building. VanTassel said that he's eager to see the positive impact Opportunity House will have on the community.

“Everybody's super excited," VanTassel said. “It's going to do a lot.”

VanTassel said that part of their main mission is to help people who’ve experienced various types of hardships find livable wages. He said they work with various local agencies such as Alaska Family Services to allocate clients that are eligible for their programs through an extensive vetting process.

“Luckily, we have a good network of people," VanTassel said.

VanTassel said that Silvertip is going to be one of the first employers to hire clients through Opportunity House. He said they will build up their list of partners over time.

“We're doing it a step at a time," VanTassel said.

VanTassel said that he has over 17 years of retail management experience he’s planning to utilize while running Silvertip. He said the goal is to maintain the public’s expectations of the well known establishment and eventually add additional services over time.

“The goal is to get this right,"

VanTassel reflected on Richards’ local legacy, the impact he's had on the community, and the relationships he's built over the years with his business.

“I think that was really cool to see what Ron has done with it all," VanTassel said.

Richards said that he's helping out as much as he can during the transition process. He said the timing was great for both parties.

“It kind of just worked out that I was looking to retire and they were looking to acquire a business that would possibly be able to expand,” Richards said. “It was the right fit.”

Richards said that he plans to use his retirement to spend more time with his children and grandchildren, travel, and catch up on chores.

“There's always more maintenance work to be done around the house," Richards said with a laugh. “It feels good. I feel ready. It's a big change but I'm looking forward to it.”

Silvertip has played a unique role in the community for over three decades.

Richards' shop offers a wide variety of custom embroidery and screen printing products that are tailor made with care and attention upon each request. Some examples include shirts, hoodies, bags, and accessories.

Local businesses, nonprofits, and other groups frequently seek out services from Silvertip to acquire custom made goods.

Richards' shop has produced a plethora of clothing products for schools across the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District over the years.

"It's fun because you walk around the community and you see your work being worn by people almost on a daily basis. It makes you a part of the community," Richards said.

Richards said that he's enjoyed working with an array of longtime customers such as the Mat-Su Miners baseball team and the Musk Ox Farm.

“Originally my plan was to start screen printing and start printing shorts for the tourists… I learned in short order there was a need for commercial work for the community," Richards said. "The list is a mile long with people we've worked for. You'd be surprised who needs shirts."

Richards said that he raised his family in Palmer and takes a lot of pride in living there. He said that he's had a lot of support over the years.

"Being a small business is a challenge but

It's a great community to live in. It's treated me well. The people here are generally good people. You feel like you're serving your neighbors," Richards said.

Richards said he has a lot of fond memories to look back on. He said that he's had a lot of great interactions with his employees and made lasting relationships with customers for the last 30 years.

"I've got a lot of customers I now call friends. That's something to take with you," Richards said.

For more information about Silvertip Design and Gifts, visit silvertipdesignak.com.

For more information about Opportunity House, email kylev@opportunityhouseak.org.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com