CASPER, Wyo. — The Vita Sana Olive Oil Co. store in downtown Casper is under new ownership, but remains in the hands of the family that opened it in summer 2013.
Casey VanVleck has taken over ownership of Vita Sana Olive Oil Co. stores in Casper and Rapid City from her parents, Charles and Merry Jane Walsh.
The Casper store is located inside the Wolcott Galleria, 136 S. Wolcott St., a building Charles Walsh bought and restored in 2007. The building became listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings in 2009. Four investors recently purchased the Wolcott Galleria, with Charles Walsh moving into semi-retirement.
The Walshes think Vita Sana will thrive with their daughter taking over ownership.
“We believe that Casey is the ideal person to take Vita Sana Olive Oil to the next level,” Charles Walsh said in an announcement of the ownership change. “In addition to her six years of experience, Casey can use her degree in Marketing and Communications and passion for the business, to better communicate with local clients and create a more positive electronic shopping experience for the online customers.”
“We feel great about our exit, knowing we are leaving the business, and its wonderful customers, in highly respected, qualified hands.”
VanVleck said inside the Casper store last week that Vita Sana has added a number of new products since she took over ownership. She has a goal of expanding Vita Sana’s business to include partnerships with restaurants in need of olive oil and vinegar.
“The major goal is partnerships,” VanVleck said. “I kind of hit the ground running when I was up here two weeks ago with going out to restaurants and businesses. If we can help them with their oil and vinegar needs, then I’m out there trying to do that.”
The other goal is to help drive foot traffic into the Wolcott Galleria and into the downtown as a whole, VanVleck added, noting that she thinks the Galleria’s new owners have good vision for the building.
VanVleck will be spending some of her time in Casper and some in Rapid City.
“I’m definitely splitting my time in both stores to ensure that our sales team has the customer service and the knowledge of the products to be able to provide the quality that we’ve relied on all these years,” she said.
VanVleck graduated with a bachelor’s degree in corporate communications and a bachelor’s in graphic design from Black Hill State University in August 2021. She took over ownership of the Rapid City store in December before her father approached her about taking over the Casper store this spring with his and Merry Jane’s plans for retirement.
“I was like, ‘Absolutely,'” VanVleck said. “I lived here for 13 years. I love Casper and the potential for growth in the area, especially in the Midwest. … I mean, we’re really certain to see a boom of people moving inwards. I wanted to be a part of the growth in Rapid and in Casper and so it was kind of a no-brainer. I already knew the business. So why not?”
VanVleck said she leans on an extensive knowledge of the products the store carries when interacting with customers rather than talking about her status with the business.
“[In Rapid City] a lot of people came to know me and appreciate me for the product knowledge that I had versus my status in the company,” she said. “I built those connections in that trust based on knowledge versus, again, status. And so I’m doing that here.”
“I want people to know that we know what we’re talking about versus, ‘Hey, you should trust me because I own the business.'”
Vita Sana’s main offerings include single varietal extra virgin olive oils, flavored extra virgin olive oils, balsamic vinegars from Modena, Italy and specialty oils. When it comes to favorite oil and vinegar products, VanVleck said she and her father have some different tastes.
“A purist is what we call Charles and he loves the extra virgin,” Van Vleck said. “And me, I love the flavors. I put Tuscan herb olive oil and lemon balsamic on everything.”
VanVleck’s son, Weston, was in the store and likes the blueberry- and blood orange–flavored balsamic vinegars.
“My husband loves our truffle salt,” VanVleck added. “We each have our favorites and this whole store is personal preference, is what I always say.”
While Charles and Merry Jane are moving into the retirement phase of their lives and plan to spend some time traveling, they’re planning to continue to call Casper home.
