UW Alumni Launch Unique Restoration Business
Maya Gilmore, University of Wyoming Extension
UW alum Hannah Korsmeyer graduated in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in design, merchandising and textiles with a concentration in interior design. She now works at UW as an administrative associate for the College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources (CALSNR)—but on the side, she helps operate Tipped Tavern Trailers (TTT) with her husband, Cody Korsmeyer.
For the Korsmeyers’ wedding, Cody Korsmeyer rebuilt a horse trailer to serve as a mobile bar. The custom trailer was a hit with friends and family and, in 2023, the Korsmeyers decided to open a business remodeling and selling trailers designed for mobile businesses.
TTT has been growing ever since; they now ship customized trailers all over the country.
Most of their builds are created for other small-business owners looking for unique, attractive mobile storefronts. Custom builds have included a Mardi Gras-themed mobile bar in Louisiana, a private bar for dude ranch guests at Lost Creek Ranch in the Tetons, and multiple Texas boutiques and coffee carts.
Applying their education
Both Korsmeyers are UW alumni, and they cite their UW degrees as an important part of their success.
Cody Korsmeyer earned his bachelor’s degree in agricultural communications. He puts his degree to use by communicating with clients, sourcing materials, and managing timelines to make sure each build progresses smoothly. He also builds the trailers with help from an employee.
Hannah Korsmeyer is the designer, assembling floor plans, managing TTT’s online presence, and choosing colors, materials, and design motifs that fit each client’s branding. She also handles invoices, quotes, and online payment collection.
“We’re both just really grateful for both of our CALSNR degrees,” says Hannah Korsmeyer. “I think you utilize your degree in different ways all the time.”
“Not even just the classes, but the connections I’ve built at the University of Wyoming [have helped us],” says Cody Korsmeyer. “There’s so many people that we still are friends with that promote our business all over.”
Their Laramie connections have given them a foothold in the local community. In turn, the Korsmeyers have made a priority of supporting other local businesses.
By locals, for locals.
TTT sources the vast majority of its materials from local businesses. The Korsmeyers purchase tires from an independent shop in Laramie; buy reclaimed Wyoming snow fence to use for exterior siding; and work with a sandblaster in Cheyenne to prep vintage trailers for painting.
While they have built trailers for clients across the U.S., the Korsmeyers especially appreciate getting to work on trailers that will stay in Wyoming.
“We love to do Wyoming builds especially…it’s near and dear to our hearts,” says Hannah Korsmeyer. Seeing their remodeled trailers in action at events like Cheyenne Frontier Days demonstrates just how much TTT has already grown as a company.
And living in Wyoming has a lot to do with it. From local connections to the skills they learned in college, “I don’t think we could have done this anywhere else to this extent, this fast,” says Cody Korsmeyer.
He currently builds about two trailers a month with help from one employee. But there’s plenty of room to grow: “We’re just evolving month to month,” he says.