Dear MAS Media Clients,
Throughout the last four years as owners of MAS Media Design, we’ve learned many lessons along the way. In fact, we’re still learning a great deal, but the most important is to take great care of our customers and we take this seriously. From the start of our journey, we have been fortunate to serve many loyal customers as well as build partnerships with new customers along the way. Thanks to your support and trust, our business has grown more rapidly than we ever could have imagined. With this growth comes exciting new challenges and a need for additional talent, teamwork and efficiencies that will allow us to better serve you.
As we look ahead to 2022, there is a lot of opportunity to not only grow but to further engage with our current clients. Thanks to these opportunities, we are excited to announce we will be entering into a partnership with UpFrame Creative of Brookings, SD effective January 1, 2022. We will operate under the UpFrame Creative name as a stronger and more effective team.
When we purchased MAS Media in 2018, we set out on a journey to offer high-quality web design, graphic design and marketing services at an affordable price. Along the way, we quickly realized the demand for professional marketing and design services amongst businesses in rural communities was far greater than we anticipated, so this became our mission. UpFrame Creative shares in our mission while enhancing our services and skills, making this a perfect partnership.
What does this mean for you?
The decision to enter into this partnership was made to keep YOU, our customer, our priority. This partnership will allow us access to not only new talent, but also the ability to offer better service. On a day-to-day basis it will be business as usual for you. Shay, Hannah and the UpFrame Creative team, who we will introduce you to below, will be working closely together to offer the same great services – web development and design, branding, logo design, graphic design and marketing – with better results.
There are a few minor housekeeping items you should be aware of:
- As of January 1, 2022, please send all website change requests to ask@upframecreative.com. We understand getting used to this will take some time! If you forget to send us an email to the new address, don’t worry! Emails sent to info@masmediadesign.com will be forwarded to the new email address temporarily. We will reply to your email as soon as your request has been completed.
- As part of our new service offering, we will begin implementing an updated website maintenance program for all website clients. We will introduce you to the streamlined process and its benefits throughout the new year. So much can change with technology, security and hosting in a short period of time. Through this program, we will be able to stay ahead of industry changes and ensure we are offering the best available security and performance.
- Effective January 1, 2022 our billing information will be changing. Please make checks payable to UpFrame Creative. Checks can be sent to 414 Main Ave. Suite 2, Brookings, SD 57006. Online payments as well as bank transfer payments are also available for your convenience.
- We enjoy hearing from our customers! If you have questions or need assistance, feel free to call us at our new phone number 605-534-2833.
- If you would like to reach out to Hannah or Shay directly, feel free to call the number above or email hannah@upframecreative.com or shay@upframecreative.com.
Meet the UpFrame Creative Team…
Carrie Kuhl, CEO
Carrie founded UpFrame Creative nearly ten years ago in Brookings, SD. In her original role with UpFrame Creative she was responsible for web development and graphic design. Now, she is looking forward to a more defined role as CEO. Her experience in the day-to-day operations of the business, leadership, forecasting industry trends, being involved in several volunteer boards within her community and teaching for the School of Design at SDSU have prepared her well for her position as CEO. Like many small business owners, her day-to-day will still include wearing many hats. She will continue building websites, designing logos, mentoring employees, and solving problems as she has done in the past. However, thanks to our evolving team she can now dedicate more time to thinking bigger, focusing on the future of the business and ensuring our client process is smooth and efficient. When she isn’t at work, Carrie enjoys spending time running outside, taking in the beauty of South Dakota and being cozy at home with her husband and two kiddos. She believes in starting the day with a good cup of coffee and ending it by eating ice cream with her kids.
Shay Vandendriessche, Vice President of Sales and Business Development
Shay was born and raised in Marshall, MN and is a proud SDSU Alumni & Jackrabbit. She brings a huge passion for small businesses, entrepreneurs and the agriculture industry. Meeting new people and helping make their dreams a reality fuels her creative spirit. Shay will specialize in client experience, idea generation, sales, market research, creative thinking, branding, graphic design, and photography. When she isn’t working, you can find her enjoying time on the family farm with her husband, two toddler girls, and their black Angus cattle. Any day that starts with coffee and donuts is a great day in her book.
Hannah Merritt, Vice President of Accounts and Marketing
She is the queen of acceptability and has a type-A personality who makes sure all the i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed. She has project management and communication talents which are key to strengthening and growing our partnerships with customers. Hannah graduated from the College of Saint Benedict with a degree in business management and an emphasis in marketing. She will specialize in all things marketing, communications and organization. She’s a self-proclaimed small town, South Dakota girl, and is fortunate to call Lake Cochrane home. In her free time, Hannah enjoys playing league volleyball, running, and being outdoors and at the farm with her husband and 4 kids.
Taylor Livingston, Senior Designer
Meet Taylor Livingston, senior designer at UpFrame Creative. Taylor has been a part of the UpFrame family since 2017. With experience in graphic design and website design, Taylor loves making her client’s look good. She’s especially passionate about logos, websites, and print layouts. Prior to joining the UpFrame team, Taylor was a graphic designer at ID8 Architecture, a marketing and promotions coordinator for the Brookings Area Chamber of Commerce as well as a creative coordinator for the Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce. She earned her BS in Advertising and Graphic Design from South Dakota State University. While not at work, Taylor enjoys being outdoors, attending concerts, and spending time with her husband Stephan, her lovable puppy Moby, and her seven-month old daughter Charlie.
We are excited about the enhancements and new opportunities this partnership will bring to our clients. We want to assure you our mission and priorities will not change; they will only be strengthened. In fact, the name “UpFrame Creative” is a testament to this. As business owners ourselves, we understand you may need a “hand up” every now and then, as well as a stable frame to lean on; hence UpFrame. Together, our team is here to lift you up and support your business through creative and strategic design and marketing services.
Thank you for your support and loyalty throughout the years! We look forward to continuing to serve you.
For more information about the team and our new roles, click here.
Sincerely,
Hannah Merritt, Shay Vandendriessche, Carrie Kuhl
Co-Owners, UpFrame Creative