Midwest Marketing Purchased by South Dakota Advertising Agency, Longtime Owner Dawn Claymore Retires
RAPID CITY, SD – October 15, 2025 – Midwest Marketing, a Rapid City agency founded in 2005, has been purchased by Fresh Produce, LLC, a marketing agency with offices in Sioux Falls and Rapid City. The sale comes after longtime owner and leader in the Black Hills marketing community, Dawn Claymore, decided it was time to retire.
“This decision didn’t come lightly,” said Claymore. “When I considered who would be the right fit to take over the company, it was important to find someone who would invest in keeping the staff and business thriving while preserving the culture we’ve built. Fresh Produce is the perfect fit for our team, our customers, and the next chapter.”
For its part, the owners of Fresh Produce see the two businesses as separate entities, and more of a strategic and complementary acquisition.
“We’re not merging the two agencies,” Fresh Produce Co-Founder Ted Heeren said. “Fresh Produce and Midwest Marketing will continue to operate independently under their established brands, leadership, and identities. This is a strategic acquisition of a like-minded company that shares our commitment to creativity, community, and results.”
That continued leadership comes from Midwest Marketing President Megan Batteen, a familiar face to clients and community partners. Batteen has been with Midwest Marketing since 2010 and the president for the last three of those years.
A Rapid City native and Black Hills State University graduate, Batteen has earned numerous professional honors, including Elevate Rapid City’s 40 Under 40 (2025), winning AAF Black Hills’ Unsung Hero of Marketing Award (2023), numerous local advertising awards, and contributed to two ECHL Marketing Team of the Year awards for work alongside the Rapid City Rush front office.
Batteen is also Google Certified and an active member of AAF Black Hills, SD CEO, and various local nonprofit initiatives.
“I’m incredibly thankful for the 15 years I’ve spent working alongside Dawn,” said Batteen. “Her leadership, friendship, mentorship, and vision have shaped who I am as a professional. I’m also deeply grateful to Fresh Produce’s Mike Hart and Ted Heeren for believing in me and our team. We’re excited to continue doing what we do best, helping our clients grow.”
That trust is shared from Midwest Marketing’s new owners.
“Midwest Marketing has an incredible reputation and a talented team already in place,” Fresh Produce Co-Founder Mike Hart said. “This acquisition allows us to support their continued growth while keeping operations, leadership, and client relationships exactly where they belong, right here in Rapid City.”
For more information, contact Megan Batteen, President, Midwest Marketing at 605-716-5666, ext 2, or via email at megan@mwmsd.com.
About Midwest Marketing: Founded in 2005 in Rapid City, South Dakota, Midwest Marketing specializes in marketing, content and creative strategy, media planning and buying, social and digital marketing, video and audio production, graphic design, analytics, website development and public relations. We are a tight-knit group of thinkers and idea generators who provide our customers with premier marketing solutions. We create impactful and meaningful marketing strategies to release the hidden potential of Midwestern businesses. Midwest Marketing is a Google Ads Partner and Meta for Business Certified Agency.
About Fresh Produce: Since 2004, Fresh Produce has helped individuals and organizations articulate, live, and share their passions through a disciplined creative practice. We work best with honest people who aren’t afraid to challenge themselves by getting a little uncomfortable. We believe everything connects to ideas and that there’s delight in creativity. While our creative process is consistent, the brand strategies, tactics, and messages that emerge are as varied as the unique values, audiences, and people that inspire them.