Downtown : Innovation + Job News

A Minneapolis bicyclist has started a new business delivering fresh produce.

VeloVeggies aims to serve busy locavores who don't always have time to shop the farmers market or pick up their weekly CSA shares.

For a $6 to $12 fee based on distance, Randall Dietel will pick up your produce and deliver it by bicycle to your doorstep.

"VeloVeggies is a sustainable, convenient option for people to add a little extra time to their lives," says Dietel. "It's a guilt-free convenience that does some good."

Dietel came up with the idea last summer after a friend at a co-op invited him to take home a box of CSA produce that was never picked up by the member who bought it.

He starting thinking about a CSA delivery service, and since he lives car-free and pedals 200 to 300 miles a week it was only natural that it would be a bicycle delivery service.

The green-canopied trailer attached to the back of his bicycle can carry 300 pounds. So far his cargo has been lots of leafy greens and radishes, but it'll grow heavier as farmers start selling more substantial produce.

Dietel is getting the word out by dropping fliers in CSA boxes around the city. He's also supplementing his income with other bicycle deliveries, including trips for a bakery and for catering businesses.

For now, VeloVeggies can only guarantee service to Minneapolis residents, but others are welcome to inquire. Dietel hopes to add a second rider and expand his delivery territory as business picks up.

Source: Randall Dietel, VeloVeggies
Writer: Dan Haugen

Minneapolis branding agency OLSON announced this week that it's acquired Denali Marketing, the fast-growing loyalty marketing firm we wrote about last week.

Denali Marketing helps companies manage customer loyalty programs, including Best Buy's Reward Zone and Sun Country's Ufly Rewards.

OLSON has been interested in developing or acquiring loyalty expertise for a few years, and about six months ago started a nationwide search for a partner.

"Sometimes you don't know what's in your own backyard until you scour the country," said OLSON President Kevin DiLorenzo, who has been named the new agency's CEO.

The combination of OLSON and Denali creates a 300-person agency, the largest full-service ad agency in Minnesota with clients that include some of the state's biggest brands (Target, Best Buy, Sun Country, General Mills, Land O'Lakes).

And instead of reducing employees, as is common following many mergers and acquisitions, DiLorenzo said they plan to add about 50 new hires as they combine.

DiLorenzo said Denali's culture and client roster are both complimentary to OLSON's business. There's also connections and familiarity among management teams, he said.

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

"Joining forces with Denali is a very good fit for us, and the fact that they happened to be here in our own backyard makes integration issues much more seamless and easy to manage for us," DiLorenzo said.

Source: Kevin DiLorenzo, OLSON
Writer: Dan Haugen

The success of Denali Marketing's Tally software is helping it add to its employee count.

The Minneapolis marketing firm, which helps companies like Best Buy, Sun Country, and Toys "R" Us manage customer loyalty programs, announced three new hires last week: a web app developer, a marketing analytics specialist, and a senior IT project manager.

The company has grown from fewer than 10 employees when it started in 2006 to more than 70  today. Guy Cierzan, partner for client services, said one factor in the company's growth has been Denali's proprietary Tally software.

"It's really been a differentiator," Cierzan said.

The software collects and mines data on customer behavior and lets companies manage and monitor every aspect of customer loyalty programs. For example, clients can use it to set program rules and send targeted communications to members.

The company provides a variety of other marketing-related services. One of its higher-profile assignments lately was working with Best Buy on the design and placement of its advertisements at Target Field.

Source: Guy Cierzan, partner for client services, Denali Marketing
Writer: Dan Haugen