American City Business Journals

The company was founded in 1982 by Mike Russell with the launch of the Kansas City Business Journal.^[1]

In 1985, the company became a public company via an initial public offering and was traded as an over the counter stock.^[1]

In 1986, the company acquired the full complement of publications from Business Journal Publications, including the St. Louis Business Journal and several other business journals and legal publications.^[1]

In 1986, Mike Russel acquired ten city business newspapers, in six states and the national capital, from the Scripps-Howard Business Journals division of Scripps-Howard Newspapers: Phoenix (Arizona); Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco (California); Atlanta (Georgia); Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston (Texas); Seattle (Washington); as well as Washington, D.C. and a South Florida edition combining Miami/Fort Lauderdale.

Ray Shaw joined the company in 1989 and served as the company's chairman and chief executive officer for 20 years until his death in 2009.^[2] Under Shaw's leadership, the company moved its headquarters from Kansas City, MissouritoCharlotte, North Carolina and greatly increased the number of its publications.^[2]

In 1995, the company was acquired by Advance Publications for US$258.8 million (equivalent to $472.8 million in 2023).^[4]

In 2001, the company partnered with Microsoft to provide content for bcentral.com.^[5]

In 2007, the company acquired Inside Lacrosse.^[6]

In 2012, sister company Condé Nast redirected Portfolio.com to the startups page of ACBJ.^[7]

In 2020, the company launched a book publishing partnership.^[8][9][10]

The publication publishes the following annual awards for each city:

• The Business Journal's Forty Under 40 lists the 40 most successful entrepreneurs under the age of 40. It has been published since 1992.^[11][12]

• The Business Journal's Best Places to Work ranks top businesses in local areas for best employee experience. Rankings are determined based on surveys on leadership, corporate culture, and communications. Different cities can use different methodologies and rank a different number of employers.^[13][14]

As of 2023^[update], American City Business Journals (ACBJ) publishes print copies of 44 different newspapers, addressing business news in 44 different cities, generally under the names CityorRegion name + Business + Journal (33 cities) or First (5) or Times (2) or Chronicle (1) or Courier (1) or News (1) or Review (1).:

• Albany Business Review – Founded 1974 (as Capital District Business Review). Previously known as Capital District Business Review and The Business Review. The Review publishes an annual Book of Lists which, for example, contains ranked lists of local engineering firms, colleges, general contractors, fastest-growing companies, labor unions, law firms, hospitals, tourist attractions, apartment communities, manufacturers, etc.
• Albuquerque Business First – Formerly New Mexico Business Weekly, it changed its name in December 2012.^[15]
• Atlanta Business Chronicle – Acquired in 1986 with purchase of Scripps Howard Business Journals.^[16]
• Austin Business Journal – A member of the Austin Chamber of Commerce, with offices in downtown Austin.^[17] Publishes several lists and grants several awards annually, among them being "List of Fastest-Growing Central Texas Neighborhoods",^[18] "Best Places to Work Award",^[19] and "Fast 50" list of rapidly growing companies.^[20][21]
• Baltimore Business Journal – Acquired in 1986 with purchase of Business Journal Publications Corp.^[1]
• Birmingham Business Journal – Founded in 1983 by Michael C. Randle and Tina Verciglio-Savas. Acquired in 1999.^[22]
• Boston Business Journal – Founded by Robert Bergenheim and launched on March 2, 1981. The newspaper was originally named "P&L The Boston Business Journal" ("P&L" stood for profit and loss). However, "P&L" was later dropped from the name.^[23] Acquired in 1996 with purchase of CityMedia Inc.^[24]
• Buffalo Business First
• Charlotte Business Journal
• Cincinnati Business Courier – Acquired in 1986 with purchase of Business Journal Publications Corp.^[1] Print edition has a circulation of more than 50,000 business owners, professionals and decision makers, and more than 10,000 email subscribers receive a free daily news update.^[25]
• Columbus Business First
• Dallas Business Journal – Acquired in 1986 with purchase of Scripps Howard Business Journals.^[16]
• Dayton Business Journal
• Denver Business Journal – Acquired by ACBJ in 1989
• Houston Business Journal – Acquired in 1986 with purchase of Scripps Howard Business Journals.^[16] The Houston Business Journal had occupied space in the Park Towers for a period of over 10 years. Offices moved to 5444 Westheimer Road effective November 5, 2012.^[26][27]
• Jacksonville Business Journal – Began publishing in 1985.^[28] Publishes annually a Book of Lists, which contains updated, ranked lists on a subjects including largest employers, largest companies, largest law firms, and similar lists.^[29]
• Kansas City Business Journal – The first publication of the eventual ACBJ, co-founded by Michael K. Russell and William Worley in August 1982.^[30]
• Louisville Business First – Founded on August 13, 1984, by publisher Mike Kallay.^[31]
• Memphis Business Journal – Founded by Ward Archer as Mid-South Business in 1979.^[32]
• Milwaukee Business Journal – Acquired in 1996 with purchase of CityMedia Inc.^[24]
• Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal – Acquired in 1996 with purchase of CityMedia Inc.^[24]
• Nashville Business Journal
• Orlando Business Journal^[33] – Celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2024,^[34] promoted Richard Bilbao to associate managing editor,^[35][36] on June 3, 2024, moved to a new office at 200 S. Orange Ave. Suite 1445, Orlando, Florida 32801^[37]
• Pacific Business News – Started by entrepreneur George Mason and former Honolulu Star-Bulletin editor John Ramsey.^[38] In 1983, Mason sold the newspaper to ACBJ, though he continued to write a regular column for more than a decade after that.
• Philadelphia Business Journal – Founded in 1982, acquired in 1996 with purchase of CityMedia Inc.^[24]
• Phoenix Business Journal- Founded in 1980, Acquired in 1986 with purchase of Scripps Howard Business Journals.^[16][39]
• Pittsburgh Business Times – Founded in 1981,^[40] acquired in 1986 with Business Journal Publications Corp.^[1] Sold in 1988.^[41] Reacquired in 1996 with purchase of CityMedia Inc.^[24]
• Portland Business Journal
• Puget Sound Business Journal – Acquired in 1986 with purchase of Scripps Howard Business Journals^[16] In 2010, the newspaper was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize in Explanatory Reporting for a series of stories about the foreclosure crises and the federal shutdown of Seattle-based Washington Mutual. The stories were reported by staff writers Kirsten Grind and Jeanne Lang Jones, and edited by Managing Editor Alwyn Scott.^[42] Congressman Dave Reichert later honored the PSBJ, praising its "inclusive and thorough" reporting as an "invaluable public service".^[43]
• Sacramento Business Journal – Acquired in 1996 with purchase of CityMedia Inc.^[24]
• St. Louis Business Journal – Established in 1980 with Dan Keough at the helm; acquired in 1986 with purchase of Business Journal Publications by ACBJ.^[1]
• San Antonio Business Journal
• San Francisco Business Journal – Acquired in 1986 with purchase of Scripps Howard Business Journals.^[16] In 2008, East Bay Business Times merged with the San Francisco Business Times.
• Silicon Valley Business Journal - Founded as San Jose Business Journal
• South Florida Business Journal – Founded in 1980 as Miami Business, it changed its name in 1983.^[44] Acquired in 1986 with purchase of Scripps Howard Business Journals.^[16]
• Tampa Bay Business Journal – Founded as Tampa Bay Business in 1981, renamed for a period starting in late 1990s as The Business Journal Serving Tampa Bay
• Triad Business Journal
• Triangle Business Journal
• Washington Business Journal – Acquired in 1986 with purchase of Scripps Howard Business Journals.^[16]
• Wichita Business Journal

• Hemmings Classic Car - Launched in 1970 as Special Interest Autos, which was acquired by ACBJ in April 2002 with the purchase of Hemmings Motor News Publishing, renamed in 2004
• Hemmings Motor News - Launched in 1954, acquired by ACBJ in April 2002 with the purchase of Hemmings Motor News Publishing
• Hemmings Muscle Machines - Launched in 2003 by ACBJ
• Inside Lacrosse - Launched in 1996, acquired by ACBJ in 2007

• L.A. Business First
• Chicago Business Journal
• Cleveland Business Journal – Launched in May 2020.
• New York Business Journal
• Providence Business First
• Business Journals - in addition to links to the websites of the individual city business publications, this main page curates an assortment of direct links to some of the current week's stories from across the 45 (including L.A. Business First) websites

•   Media related to American City Business Journals at Wikimedia Commons
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