Each company operates with devolved responsibility for its own entrepreneurial content and commercial management.
Group Services
The group provides certain central services to its companies in the following areas:
Strategic Direction
The group provides strategic advice, future direction and ongoing support to each of its operating companies.
Financial Control
The group manages financial control, transaction processing and accounting for all its operating companies.
M&A and Capital Allocation
The group manages all acquisitions and allocates capital to each company based on the expected return on invested capital.
Digital Development
The group manages the digital technology and website development for all its operating companies.
Our Platform
A proven and scalable business model that can readily integrate new businesses on our common platform.
Case Study: Rollup of media brands
The Group acquired The Woodworker in 2006 and launched a website to support the magazine in the same year. In 2007, Good Woodworking magazine was purchased from Future plc.
In 2018, Woodworker and Good Woodworking magazines were merged to create the leading woodworking consumer magazine and the group acquired the leading trade magazine, Woodworking News and the leading woodworking consumer show, the annual North of England Woodworking and Power Tool Show.
Through these bolt-on acquisitions, the group has created a leading position in the woodworking market in the UK with offers for both trade to trade and trade to consumer reach.
Case Study: Rollup of media brands internationally
The Group acquired Hi-Fi News from Time Inc in 2010. Hi-Fi News addresses the high-end premium sector of the hi-fi market. In 2011, we acquired another portfolio of magazines and websites from Future plc which were also in the specialist hi-fi sector. The Group Editor of Hi-Fi News also invested and became a shareholder in a newly formed company which combined all our home technology magazines and assets.
In 2014, the Hi-Fi Show was launched which has become one of the country’s leading annual high end hi-fi shows. In 2018, we acquired a magazine portfolio in the US from The Enthusiast Network. The magazines acquired were Stereophile, Sound & Vision and Shutterbug. Following the acquisition, we transitioned one of the magazines to online only and launched new e-commerce stores which combine content and commerce serving the photography and home theatre communities.
Case Study: Carve out of branded business from a UK plc
In 2019, the group acquired 51% of AA Media Ltd. It is a joint venture with AA plc and has three operations: marketing accreditation services, publishing and retail and e-commerce. Its accreditation services have a licence to operate under the AA brand and inspects and rates accommodation providers and restaurants across Britain. The book publishing business produces AA branded atlases, maps and travel guides. The retail and e-commerce business receive royalty income from a range of AA branded car accessories through online channels and retailers. It also operates a store at the Eurotunnel terminal at Folkestone. Following the acquisition, the group launched a new digital platform Ratedtrips to create a consumer offering for hospitality establishments.
Case Study: Acquiring branded media assets out of Chapter 11 in the US
In 2019, the group acquired 50.1% of a portfolio of trade home construction magazine brands from F+W Media in the US through a Chapter 11 process. The brands include: Rural Builder, Frame Building News, Metal Roofing Magazine and Rollforming Magazine. Following the acquisition, a new event, the Rollforming Show and a new trade magazine was launched.