Kate Stottlemyer ’95 Helps

The Stottlemyer family (left to right): Thomas, Robb, Kate ’95 and John.

Look no further than Tweed (www.tweedathome.com), Richmond’s go-to destination for bespoke gifts that celebrate life’s special moments. At the helm of this flourishing 18-year-old family enterprise is company president Kate Stottlemyer ’95, whose strong business acumen, passion for art and work hard/ play hard attitude—which she developed as a student at Blair— have all contributed to Tweed’s success.

Tweed’s roots stretch back to Sparta, New Jersey, the town 35 miles from Blairstown where Kate grew up with her parents, Carol and Paul Viall, and sister, Elizabeth. Carol owned and operated Sparta Books, a local shop that she purchased in 1984 and built into one of the state’s largest independent booksellers. Recognizing her customers’ demand for unique gifts and home accents, Carol expanded her retail operation by opening the original Tweed, close by Sparta Books, in 2003.

Kate was a few years out of Randolph-Macon College at the time, having earned a BA in arts management, a degree that combined her love of fine art and art history with a solid background in business. While she had always wanted to join the family business, she loved Virginia so much that she opted to stay in Richmond following her graduation, working for several years in Randolph-Macon’s development office before joining her husband, Robb, in the insurance industry.

When the Sparta Tweed was up and running, Kate and her parents decided that Richmond would be a fantastic location for a second store. “I was thrilled to be able to help grow our family’s business in Virginia,” Kate said, and in 2004, her family celebrated the grand opening of Tweed’s 2,000-squarefoot Southern branch.

As vice president of operations, Kate jumped into Tweed’s management with both feet, bringing her keen business sense and artistic eye. “When we first opened, I was in the store fulltime, and we had a few part-time sales associates,” she recounted. It didn’t take long, though, before customers’ enthusiastic

Interior photos of Tweed displays.

response to Tweed’s expertly curated selection of gifts, home accents and women’s accessories, beautifully designed displays, and friendly and welcoming staff propelled the Richmond store’s growth, with Kate leading the way.

Today, Tweed is headquartered in Richmond, with a charmingly appointed 6,000-square-foot store in the Shoppes at Westgate, a 2,000-square-foot warehouse, a thriving e-commerce business and 25 part-time employees, some of whom have been with the company since it opened. Kate, now the busy mom of two teenage sons, became company president in 2017. She leads a four-member management team, selects and buys product for the store, and oversees every aspect of the operation, while her parents, who sold their New Jersey businesses and relocated to Virginia a decade ago, remain actively involved.

What does Kate enjoy most about owning and operating a specialty gift company? “Everything!” she says enthusiastically. “I LOVE retail! It’s exciting to attend buying and gift shows and select new and unique items to bring to our market. I love the relationships we have built through this business with customers, vendors and Tweed team members, who have all become part of our family. And I love that we get to help people celebrate the big and small moments that touch, move and inspire us every day through the art and joy of gifting.”

Another thing that Kate loves is a challenge, and that’s a good thing, since, as a small business owner, she has faced her share of them. “We are always looking for ways to reduce waste, run more efficiently, improve in every way and grow stronger,” she said. “When the pandemic hit, we faced many

The Tweed storefront in Richmond, Va.

new challenges since we had to close our store from March 19 to May 15, 2020. Thankfully, our e-commerce website was up and running, and we focused on driving business there. We also worked with customers via phone and FaceTime, and controlled the costs we could control. We are glad to be open again for in-store shopping, and we have used the lessons learned during the pandemic to continue to work more efficiently all the time.”

Whenever challenges arise—pandemic or not—Kate encourages her team to take things one day at a time, to be unafraid of making mistakes, and to constantly learn and grow. Some of this advice stems from her time at Blair, where she started midyear as a new junior. “At Blair, I learned to work hard, think independently and question wisely,” she said, recalling with gratitude how teachers and staff members went above and beyond to help her adjust, settle in and thrive. “I also learned that it’s not always about being perfect, but rather trying your hardest, celebrating your accomplishments and learning valuable lessons from your mistakes.”

For students and fellow alumni/ae considering starting their own small business, Kate shared similar words of wisdom. “Do it!” she said. “Do not be afraid of mistakes. Our best lessons are in our worst mistakes. Always keep moving, changing and working to improve. And have fun!”

Kate treasures her Blair experience to this day, for the many people she met from all over the world, for the special moments like building the Peddie Eve bonfire her senior year, and for the friends she still counts among her closest 26 years after graduation. And, as someone whose family business is built on celebrating the special moments of life, she shared a final thought: “My time at Blair—just a year and a half—was too short. That taught me that life’s moments are short. So my advice is to jump in, have fun and make the most of every day!” ■

Shop at Tweed from anywhere in the world by visiting www.tweedathome.com or shop in-person at Tweed’s flagship store, located at 4035 Lauderdale Drive, Richmond, Virginia 23233.