Next chapter for Casper’s venerable Alpenglow Natural Living starts under new ownership
CASPER, Wyo. – A small business with more than five decades of history in Casper is heading into the future a new owner.
Teri King took the keys to the venerable health supply store Alpenglow Natural Living on July 1, making her only the third owner in its more than 55-year history.
Teri, who grew up in Riverton and moved to Casper in 2012, has been a fan of natural health food and supplements since the early 1990s, but hadn’t seriously considered operating her own business until one of her sons saw Alpenglow listed for sale.
Alpenglow likely started as a craft fair and home business before being registered as a retail business in 1970, according to Teri. The business was purchased by longtime owners Sylvia and Claude Hiler in 1994, who operated it until this summer.
It originally operated on Wolcott before moving to 109 East Second. In late Feb. 2018, a fire started in the Hiler’s apartment above the store, destroying their home and seriously damaging the store and its products. Claude suffered burns and smoke inhalation before making his way out of the burning apartment, and required treatment in a Denver hospital.
Alpenglow’s history didn’t end there. With the community’s help and support, the Hilers were able to relocate into a smaller space across the street at 120 East Second, where they are still located. Earlier this year, Claude briefly put out a “store closing” notice before quickly reconsidering and listing the store for sale.
“I’m trying to work towards the ‘whole home,'” she said. “So not just the supplements and the foods, but also the natural fibers for blankets and outerwear, cleaning products and pottery as well.”
“We’re very careful of sourcing,” she said, which is something that sets them apart from standard retailers. “We want to make sure that the sources for anything we bring in are ethical, good for the environment, and don’t do anything to destroy our natural world.”
That includes offering bulk items ranging from herbs to body lotions and shampoos to reduce plastic waste, and buying food items that were naturally grown in the wild as opposed to farmland.
Teri said they carry numerous herbs and spices that are difficult to impossible to find locally. “A lot of people who love to cook and create come in here,” she said. “We have multiple types of curry here, as opposed to one or two at a store. We’ve got multiple types of cinnamon, multiple peppercorns, etc.”
Teri said she’s a proponent of using natural healing options in conjunction with modern medicine. “We aren’t medical professionals, we do not give out medical advice,” she said. “We ask them questions, give them advice and say, ‘here are some options to discuss with your healthcare professional and decide what works for you.'”
While it’s the first small business Teri had owned, she has help from her two sons and longtime Alpenglow employee Bobbi Jo Ozanne, who worked for Claude and Sylvia a few years in their old location, and came back shortly after they moved across the street.
“We kind of bounce [ideas] off of each other,” said Bobbi Jo. “We compliment each other pretty well,” added Teri.
Teri said old customers have continued to come in or have started to return, and new customers are walking in.
“I’m seeing quite a few new people as word is starting to get out a little bit,” she said. “I’ve had people coming in and commenting on the changes I’ve made, they like the rearrangement and organizing.”
“So far all the responses have been positive with people excited that someone new is ready to take it on and continue the tradition, as well as bring in new things,” she said.
Alpenglow Natural Living is located at 120 East Second Street in downtown Casper. Their hours are Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturdays. More information can be found on their Facebook page.
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