About Us
A little history for you. Dave Orman started a company called Raven & Associates, Inc. in April of 1997. It was first based in a small apartment in the Lincoln Park Neighborhood of Duluth, MN. At the time, he was working as a graphic designer for a local screen print shop and studying graphic design and theater at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. So basically, he could draw and say, “Do you want fries with that.” One day, like in the stories, his Grandpa Jim Bleecker approached him and offered to loan him the money to go into business for himself. After a few moments of deep thought and soul searching, he quickly agreed, quit school, and Raven & Associates, Inc. was born.
He quickly began pounding the pavement and shopping his meager skills and portfolio around to local advertising agencies, screen print shops, and businesses. Honestly, he failed miserably. After a few months of starving, he decided it was time to shift strategies. Dave decided to take the knowledge that he had acquired while working for screen printers and embroiderers and combine it with one of the things that he was very passionate about: Scouting. Dave had had grown up in the Boy Scouts and he had earned his Eagle Scout Award from his home troop, Troop 15. He also served as Nahak Lodge’s (now Ka’Niss MaiIngan) lodge chief and was nominated to the Vigil Honor.
This is probably the best business decision that he ever made. In less than six months, the company’s customer base had tripled (which when you are at zero, not far to go) and there was almost more work than he could handle. His new customers seemed excited about a company run by a Scouter and was being operated by the Scout Oath & Law.
The company quickly outgrew the apartment in which it was born, so he and his associates (at the time, these were his fiancée and a rottweiler named Taz) moved to a bigger apartment in the furthest reaches of West Duluth. Here the company continued to prosper, until July of 2001 when it moved into Downtown Duluth. In 2008, after the company outgrew it’s downtown location, and they moved back to West Duluth and there is has continued to grow.
Alright… so what’s with the name? Raven & Associates, Inc.?
As ravens and crows are mischievous creatures, they like to gather together in large flocks for parties. Usually, they pick a large bowlike depression in the land, a natural amphitheater. Here they gather to tell tales, to catch up with family, and to loudly boast about their adventures. As loud as their gatherings are, they are always brought to silence by a raven or a crow at the center of the depression. This raven or crow will dance, sing and squawk with the rest of the flock watching on in silence.
Eventually, the raven or crow in the middle will lapse into silence. Usually, the flock will sit silently for a moment and then erupt into the air like a black, raucious cloud and disperse. Sometimes though, the flock will descend upon the bird in the middle and tear them to pieces.
The story goes that the bird in the middle is a story teller. If the flock likes the story they let him live and then fly off to sing his praises. If not, they tear him to pieces.
This last bit seems a lot like business.
