Have you ever wondered how Sand Shooters got started, and why the name?
Dust, grit, and a whole lot of heart. Forget fairy tales, this story starts in a cardboard box. A couple decades ago, back when dial-up was king, the two founding members, Weldon and Connie, were introduced to some sand carved art in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. They were mesmerized by the raw beauty and immediately fell in love with the process and result. They investigated a little more and were told “you can’t do this until you go to a training school”. Challenge was presented...and accepted (you'll find this to be a theme for us 😏). After lots of study and researching via a very primitive internet the first pieces were sand blasted in a cardboard box with an itty bitty air compressor and a little shop vac for dust control. The very first pieces, crystal Christmas ornaments, came out beautiful.
Hence the Sand Shooters name was born in Pierre, SD.
From ornaments to...empires? From that humble cardboard box beginning the business grew. They found that there was a demand for high quality work at a reasonable price. The equipment got more sophisticated, as did the abilities. Sand blasting worked for everything from high dollar crystal awards, to desk rocks and entrance boulders, and especially beautiful crystal ornaments for Baby’s First Christmas.
From the beginning, our mission statement has been to provide unique and high quality engraving at a price that everyone could afford.
Laser dreams and metal marvels: The magic didn't stop with sand, though. In 2009, a laser engraver was added, expanding our abilities even more. This allowed us to do engraving on numerous materials like wood, leather, cork, glass and so much more. It also allowed for precision cutting of designs on those same materials. New products and ideas were born.
Weldon and Connie's daughter, Andrea, caught the creative bug, injecting fresh ideas and imagination. Together, they expanded their horizons, venturing into powder coating (also started in a cardboard box 😂) and eventually metal art with a CNC plasma table.
Two towns, one family: Today, Sand Shooters is a thriving family business, spanning Pierre, SD and Cody, NE. Weldon and Connie hold the fort in Pierre, while Andrea runs "The Shoppe" in Cody - a brick and mortar shopping experience with everything Sand Shooters has to offer.
Always evolving: We find ourselves always being drawn to new artistic processes. We, unfortunately, are no longer offering our metal art and sold our plasma table in 2021. Our offerings really expanded in 2023 with the addition of epoxy trays and the more artistic wood offerings, like the large framed wall art. We also offer sublimation printing and full-color digital printing for apparel that we began in 2020.
We are oftentimes asked "So, what do you do?". Our response has always been "What don't we do?". We've narrowed it down the best we can ~ if you're looking for a custom and unique gift, for yourself or someone else, shop Sand Shooters.
We're more than just gifts, we craft connections. Our unique, personalized items, made with love in the Midwest, inspire families to tell their stories and celebrate life's precious moments. Discover handcrafted treasures at reasonable prices that bring families closer.