AIM Indiana affiliate purchases 30 Ohio newspapers

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A company with management ties to the Daily Reporter has purchased more than 30 newspapers in Ohio.

AIM Media Midwest LLC announced Tuesday that it has acquired the print and online newspaper publishing assets and the commercial printing assets in Ohio from Civitas Media LLC.

The transaction includes 17 daily newspapers (16 in Ohio and one in West Virginia), 15 weekly publications and a variety of specialty publications including shoppers and magazines. The largest daily newspaper included in the group is The Lima News of Lima, Ohio.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

AIM Media Midwest is an affiliate of AIM Media Indiana LLC, which owns the Daily Reporter.

“Civitas is one of the most respected and admired publishing companies principally serving local community markets in the United States,” said Jeremy L. Halbreich, chairman and CEO of AIM and former chairman and CEO of Sun-Times Media LLC (Chicago), former founder, chairman, president and CEO of American Consolidated Media (Dallas) and former president and general manager of The Dallas Morning News.

“My associate Rick Starks and I have had the recent and wonderful opportunity to become well-acquainted with the senior leadership at Civitas and at Versa and we salute their demonstrated commitment and support to these local communities throughout their years of ownership. These publications and the service they provide their respective communities in Ohio and West Virginia represent a great testimony to the hard work, dedication and true community service established and maintained by Civitas over recent years in conjunction with their talented staff of dedicated employees,” Halbreich added.

Starks is president and COO of AIM, former CEO of Ohio Community Media LLC, former managing director at Carl Marks Advisory, former executive vice president and COO at American Consolidated Media and former senior vice president of sales and marketing of The Dallas Morning News.

“We are gratified by Civitas’ and Versa’s confidence in us as publishers of local, community newspapers to build on their recent history and allow us to enhance the focus on community service,” Halbreich added. “We look forward to providing the guidance and direction necessary for these publications and our new employees to engage their local audiences and set the civic agenda and discourse both online and in print for the communities they serve.”

AIM Media Midwest LLC is an entity formed by Halbreich and Starks for the purpose of acquiring and growing the print, online and commercial printing operations previously owned by Civitas Media LLC in Ohio plus one daily newspaper in West Virginia.

The new company is an affiliate of AIM Media Texas LLC and AIM Media Indiana and all entities are managed by AIM Media Management of Dallas, Texas, where Halbreich serves as chairman and CEO and Starks serves as president and COO.

AIM focuses on local content across all forms of media including print, online and video. The company recognizes the value and benefits that local news, information and advertising services bring to local communities and regional markets and is the leading information source in the communities it serves.

 

  • Daily Reporter (Greenfield)