The Creation of Zen Hills

Garrett Buckingham

I attended school at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and received a degree in Civil Engineering with an emphasis in Environmental and Sustainable Engineering. We built Zen Hills to be as sustainable as possible. Our aim is to make all of our products and eco friendly as possible while still focusing on quality and lifespan to ensure that we are holding true to our morals.

John Gasper

I attended school at the University of South Dakota obtaining a bachelor's in business administration with a focus in marketing and graphic design. Having worked with and for non-profits and many for profit businesses; I have a passion for driving others to success. Our goal is to empower non-profits, our retail partners and our communities to succeed in the world we live in.

Dreams Becoming Reality

After meeting in 2018, the two of us and another friend attempted to create a business selling our art work and the collaborative creations of others online!...it didn't work out. With college, work and distance all playing a part in the failure to ever launch, we never thought it would come to be.

But, fast forward a few years, when all the right pieces seemed to just fall into place, the two of us created Zen Hills as a manufacturer for sustainable souvenirs and gifts! With the amazing support we received, and the growing demand for our products in retail stores, we were able to expand our operations into Downtown Rapid City with our first brick and mortar shop. With enough space to continue our wholesale production in the back of the space, and a perfect setup for retail in the front, we opened the doors on Black Friday of 2023, and we could not have been more thrilled!

We are so excited to see what the future holds for Zen Hills; but for now we are continuing to grow into our new store, adding new artwork and products as we do.