Annex gets noticed for its acquiring ways

Annex Publishing & Printing Inc., which has made a tidy business out of publishing small, specialized trade magazines out of the decidedly non-magazine location of Simcoe, Ontario, was highlighted in a "Mover of the Week" feature in the National Post on Monday.

The Post story catches up on the news that Annex, a 10-year-old company which now owns 26 titles, is aggressively growing by acquisition, having recently picked up11,000 circ. Aggregates & Roadbuilding Magazine from Edmonton-based Franmore Communications Inc. early last month and then Vancouver-based Manure Manager from Manure Managers Partnership. The former magazine targets about 11,000 roadbuilders and gravel companies, the latter, the livestock industry, owners and managers who deal with manure issues and make critical decisions on equipment purchases. nnex president Mike Fredericks says he expects to announce yet another magazine acquisition this month.

In addition to printing its own titles, Annex prints another 65 North American- based publications at its Simcoe plant for third parties.

Annex publishes such small, but tightly focussed titles as Canadian Vending, Greenhouse Canada, Canadian Florist and Canadian Pizza Magazine. They serve niches that are either overlooked entirely by others or are considered to have circulation that is too small (almost all its titles have less than 10,000 per issue circulation).

"In all cases, these magazines complete our existing list of titles and offer the opportunity to create synergies," Fredericks told the Post. "We can foresee continuing to expand our magazine operations both through acquisitions and start-ups and through third-party printing contracts well through this decade."