Web Exclusive: Paperboy Delivery revamps with new location and search for local employees

Tim Tuthill has worked as a delivery contractor for Paperboy Flyer Delivery for close to three and a half years. Photo by Abdi Mohamed

By Abdi Mohamed Staff Reporter

After taking a hiatus, Nate Streeter is back at the helm of Paperboy Flyer Delivery, and he has moved the business to Victory neighborhood. 

Previously, Streeter and his wife Leah operated their business from their home, but after having sold the business and spent time without their home doubling as an office, they decided to find a separate location. The pair found an opportune location at 3860 Thomas Ave N. “We were just looking for a space that would fit our needs,” Streeter said. “We have 20 to 30 delivery contractors throughout the year, sometimes more, and we need a place that they can have access to.”

Earlier this year Streeter began the process of selling his business. After going through the paperwork and finalizing an agreement, he decided to keep the business after having managing differences with the new owners. Streeter believes with the new location and a new administrative staff; the business could be efficient enough to sell once again within the next two years. After having been in the delivery business for decades, Streeter would like to move on to new ventures, but not until he feels confident in the operation of the business.

Since he was a child, Streeter had worked in the paper delivery service. He and his father operated a paper route where the two delivered newspapers. Once he was an adult, Streeter started his business under the name Quality Delivery Service which also delivered flyers and other print material. Through the early to mid-2000s, Streeter saw a growth in his delivery business, but once the recession hit in 2009, almost all his earnings were wiped away. 

Ten years later, Paperboy has bounced back; according to Streeter, it is the largest flyer delivery service in the Twin Cities, delivering 2500 to 400,000 pieces of material throughout the metro depending on the clients requests. Many of Paperboy’s clients come from the home service businesses such as landscaping or painting companies, but the company also counts nonprofits and retail locations among its customers.

Over the past few years Streeter has seen a “rebound” in the business despite the changing landscape of advertising. “The big box is the Facebook and Google,” he said. “They’re the gorilla in the room that’s absorbing so much of the advertising dollars.”

With digital ads gaining a larger share of the market, Streeters’ customers have seen their pay per click advertising payments almost doubled over the last decade. Many have turned back to more conventional means of marketing where they can see a return on their investment.

Employees for Paperboy carry a GPS and camera as they go out on their routes. Clients can track their materials being delivered and have access to footage of those deliveries in real time.

Delivery contractors wear cameras and carry GPS devices to give clients assurance that their materials are being delivered. Photo by Abdi Mohamed

Tim Tuthill has worked with Paperboy for nearly three and a half years. Before joining Paperboy, Tuthill worked as an executive assistant for the owners of a mortgage closing and title company. He soon discovered that it wasn’t the kind of work environment he wanted to stay in for too long. When speaking about his experience at Paperboy, Tuthill enthusiastic about his work and the people he interacts with. “The people I run into when I’m out delivering now, it's like night and day,” Tuthill said when comparing past delivery jobs to his position at Paperboy. “My days are easy. The people I communicate with during the day are for the most part, very pleasant.”

In line with keeping his business on the Northside, Streeter is also looking to hire from the community. “One of the things we’re most excited about with this space is probably more hiring here,” he said. Currently the business is seeking door to door delivery drivers to work part time and administrative staff in the coming months.