Kaspar Outdoors

Derrick Ratliff, a native of Boyd, Texas, is the founder of Horizon, a company he started in 2012. Before launching Horizon, Derrick worked at Croft, Ranch Hand, and Kaselco, later merging back with Kaspar Companies in 2015. With a passion for the shooting sports industry, Derrick enjoys networking within the small, close-knit community of professionals in the field.

An Aggie, class of 2007, Derrick balances his professional life with his love for ranching, riding horses with his family, and raising cattle. A dedicated Deacon, he hosts a weekly Bible study at his home. Derrick has been married to his wife Cherise since 2007, and together, they have two sons, Rhyder (12) and Rhett (5)

Originally from Jewett, Texas, Trouper Krueger has called College Station home since 2003. A proud Texas A&M graduate from the class of 2007, he now serves as the General Manager of Kaspar Outdoors.

He finds fulfillment in building strong teams and growing the business into an industry leader.

An avid outdoorsman, Trouper enjoys hunting and fishing with his family, continuing a proud tradition as a multi-generational Texan. He has been married to his wife Amanda for 16 years, and together they have three children.

Austin Ratliff is the project coordinator for iota Outdoors and is the company’s jack of all trades. Austin grew up the youngest of three Ratliff brothers on a farm and ranch in Boyd, Texas. Hunting, fishing, working and fixing things were a by-product of the stereotypical Texas upbringing. Austin received a visualization degree from Texas A&M University’s College of Architecture with a focus in 3-D animation and computer graphics. His dedication to detail and visual aesthetics as well as his unique set of computer skills provide great value to product development and marketing at iota. Austin’s dream hunt includes an Arctic Wolf with his totally tricked out Horizon Firearms 6.5 Creedmoor.

Chris Taggart is the Vice President of Sales at Kaspar Outdoors, bringing over 15 years of experience in industrial markets, where he has been instrumental in helping businesses diversify product portfolios and expand into new markets. His extensive background includes working across multiple sectors such as Power Utility, Agriculture, Metfab, Semiconductor, Oil & Gas, Biopharma, and Cryogenic Gases, offering a well-rounded perspective on driving growth.

Chris is known for his outside-the-box, solution-driven approach, with expertise in strategic sales planning, contract negotiation, market expansion, global logistics, and operational efficiency. Prior to joining Kaspar Companies, he successfully led sales teams, implementing strategies that resulted in significant improvements in both sales and operational performance, while expanding national and international market reach.

Midwest born and raised, Chris then spent a decade in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado before making his way to Texas. When not leading high-impact projects, Chris enjoys spending time with his wife, Tori, and his teen daughters, Londyn and Finley. On weekends, you can often find him at his daughters’ sports events or playing guitar in local worship bands at various churches.