Last week's wintry weather, not just here but in the Boston area, too, slowed but did not stop the announcement of a merger Friday between Atlanta-based Vesdia and former competitor Cartera Commerce.
Both firms manage customer loyalty shopping and rewards programs for credit and debit card providers, airline and hospitality companies and larger affinity brands.
The merged company take the Cartera Commerce name as well as its headquarters in Lexington, Mass.
Jim Douglass, president and CEO of Vesdia, said difficult travel conditions made it hard to get the firm's 75 Atlanta area employees together to break the news to them. Cartera executives faced the same problem when they were hit by a snowstorm just days after Georgia was struck.
"You just can't get that message across without a good face to face meeting," explained Douglass. The news he eventually delivered, he said, is good for workers here and across the company.
The firm operates in a growing industry and is its biggest player, Douglass said, paving the way for likely future increases in business and employment. Douglass will serve as an executive vice president of the new company.
Cartera matches in-store and online merchants with these clients via its proprietary marketing platform that delivers offers via the web, email, online banking statements and mobile devices. Consumers can get a variety of rewards for shopping, including points, miles or cash back.
The combined firm said it will work with 8 of the top 20 U.S. card issuers, 4 of the top 5 banks and 3 of the 4 largest airlines. It will represent more than 3,000 merchant brands.
Vesdia started as BabyMint, marketing directly to consumers seeking a way to save for college while shopping online, before it changed the company's business model and name.
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