Expanding the ‘plus’ at Pack & Send Plus

October 1, 2021 | By Waterbury Roundabout 

New owners at Pack & Send Plus, Tyler “Tito” and Mae Keefe are TYKE Solutions LLC. Having some fun in the window are staffers Ian (left), Jon (right), and business founder Darrick Pitstick (center). Photo by Gordon Miller

Pack & Send Plus at the roundabout in Waterbury officially has new owners as of Friday, Oct. 1. 

Owner Darrick Pitstick handed over the keys to the business he founded along with partner Richard Drill and ran for the past 13 years to TYKE Solutions LLC which is couple Mae and Tyler “Tito” Keefe, also of Waterbury. 

The Keefes plan to keep the operation intact with the same name, location, offerings, and staff and they hope to expand on the business by offering new products and services in the coming months. 

“The new owners are a perfect fit. They are a young energetic team with a lot of new ideas and skills,” said Pitstick. “They are actively involved in town volunteerism and are really looking forward to being part of the business community.” 

Mae and Tyler are members of the Waterbury Arts organization and Tyler recently joined the board of directors at Revitalizing Waterbury where he has volunteered with its marketing and tourism committee.

“When we moved back to Vermont three years ago, we knew Waterbury was where we wanted to call home. It’s a beautiful place with wonderful people, a vibrant culture, and a bright future,” said Tyler “Tito” Keefe. “We’re excited to expand our reach into the community as business owners and consider ourselves fortunate to do so with the acquisition of Pack & Send Plus. Darrick has done an outstanding job supporting the town and neighbors he loves, and we hope to continue that legacy.” 

Mae has a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Vermont and a master’s degree in information technology from Bentley University; Tyler has a bachelor’s in small business and human resource management from Champlain College and a master’s in organizational communication and leadership from Northeastern University. 

Pitstick said he plans to continue at the shop into mid-October for the transition. The business offers packing, shipping, copying, printing, photo reproduction and more. 

Once up to speed with the current operations, the Keefes will look to adding new elements to the shop’s offerings such as small business, e-commerce, and marketing consultation, web design, graphic design, and digital media services. 

“The products and services we aim to develop complement the offerings of Pack & Send Plus,” Mae Keefe said. “It’ll be really cool to transform an already established and reputable business into something even more comprehensive for residents, nonprofits, and businesses in the community.” 

The new owners said they are looking forward to meeting customers and hearing suggestions for what new services they might include next. They note that regulars will continue to see staffers Jon, Ian and Chris at the counter. 

In a post on social media Friday, Pitstick called the decision to sell bittersweet. He said he plans to take a break and explore some new opportunities. “No chance that I will be retiring,” he said.