Kalmbach Media sells Model Railroader, other magazines, to Tennessee publisher
Kalmbach Media, a 90-year-old Wisconsin publisher, has sold its Model Railroader, Trains, Astronomy, and other magazines to a Tennessee publisher.
The sale to Firecrown Media, of Chattanooga, also included Classic Toy Trains, Classic Trains, Garden Railways, FineScale Modeler, Trains.com, Kalmbach Books, and the company's e-commerce stores.
Firecrown is the publisher of FLYING, Boating, Yachting, Salt Water Sportsman and FreightWaves magazines. The company says it intends to retain all of the editorial and content resources of the former Kalmbach Media brands and keep the publications based in Wisconsin.
"The railroad titles fit perfectly into the Firecrown portfolio and the breadth of experience of our staff. There isn't a deeper connection in the rail enthusiast community than the one that Kalmbach built," Firecrown CEO Craig Fuller said in a press release.
Kalmbach Media will retain its online Discover Magazine, focused on science news, and Saturn Lounge, its digital marketing agency.
Around 67 of the company's 120 employees are affected by the sale and will continue to be based in Wisconsin, according to Kalmbach CEO Dan Hickey.
Firecrown, founded only this year, has around twice as many brands as Kalmbach, according to Hickey.
"The decision to sell was based on our belief that in today's highly competitive media landscape, our niche brands need a company with greater resources and scale to help the brands grow and thrive. In Firecrown, we found a good home for our brands," Hickey said.
Kalmbach's first publication, Model Railroader, was launched 90 years ago by company founder Albert Kalmbach. His interest in railroads began early in his life, and his interest in model railroads came from helping a friend with a train layout he was creating.
Albert was an ambitious boy and young man, saving his money to buy a hand-operated press to publish the former Milwaukee Sun, a neighborhood newspaper.
He founded Model Railroader in Milwaukee at 545 S. 84th St., now the site of a car wash, and moved the magazine several times to locations including what’s now Milwaukee Area Technical College on North 7th Street. In 1932 he helped organize the Model Railroad Club of Milwaukee.
Model Railroader, and Kalmbach's other publications, have a strong following with their audiences.
"There's a tremendous amount of loyalty to the brands we have. We deliver great content, and Firecrown is committed to delivering even more of it," Hickey said.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Kalmbach Media sells Model Railroader, other magazines, in its portfolio
