Woodward Communications

What Woodward Communications does

Woodward Communications, Inc. (WCI) is an employee-owned (ESOP) diversified media company founded in 1836 as the first newspaper in Iowa, headquartered in Dubuque, IA with 500+ employee owners. The company operates three core divisions: Woodward Community Media (local newspapers, radio stations, niche publications, digital platforms, and live events across Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Rhode Island), Woodward Printing & Mailing Services (full-service commercial web and sheet-fed printing, bindery, mail list maintenance, mailing, and fulfillment with Midwest location and national reach), and Woodward Biz Media (B2B trade publications including the Material Handling Group, In Business Madison, and Providence Business News). WCI monetizes primarily through advertising revenue across its media properties and transaction-based fees in its commercial printing arm, targeting three customer segments: local communities and consumers, B2B businesses and advertisers, and commercial customers requiring printing and fulfillment services. Since the ESOP's inception, more than $63 million has been paid to former employee owners, and the affiliated Woodward Communications Foundation (est. 1956) has contributed over $8 million in charitable donations. The company pursues an active, programmatic acquisition strategy, most recently acquiring Providence Business News in December 2023, and has extended into live theatrical entertainment through Woodward Productions in partnership with QPAC in Brisbane.

Name

Woodward Communications

Legal name

Woodward Communications, Inc.

Website

https://wcinet.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1836

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Woodward Communications is a 1836-founded, ESOP-owned diversified media company operating community newspapers, radio stations, B2B trade publications, and a national commercial printing business across Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Rhode Island, serving local communities, B2B advertisers, and commercial printing customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Media and Commercial Printing Services

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110), Periodical Publishers (513120), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer News & Digital Newsrooms (Web/App-First) (MPAJADAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Business, Finance & Industry Trade Magazines (MPAJAEAM)

Keywords

• Community media publishing
• Commercial printing services
• Local newspaper publishing
• Radio broadcasting services
• Business-to-business publications

Headquarters

HQ city

Dubuque

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Community Media: Revenue generated through community newspapers, radio stations, niche publications, digital publishing, and events across multiple regional markets including Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Rhode Island.
2. B2B Business Media: Business-to-business publications and marketing platforms serving material handling industry and other niche B2B segments through print, online and live events.
3. Commercial Printing & Mailing Services: Full-service printing company specializing in high-quality web and sheet-fed printing, bindery, mail list maintenance, mailing, fulfillment and delivery services.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Woodward Communications operates three core divisions: Woodward Community Media provides local news, radio, digital, niche publications, and events across Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Rhode Island; Woodward Biz Media delivers business-to-business news and trade publications such as Material Handling Group in print, online and live event formats; and Woodward Printing & Mailing Services offers full-service commercial web and sheet-fed printing, bindery, mail list maintenance, mailing and fulfillment.

Product overview

Woodward Communications is an ESOP company operating a diversified portfolio of media and business services businesses organized into three main divisions. Woodward Community Media provides local news, radio, and digital content through multiple newspapers (Telegraph Herald, Manchester Press, Cascade Pioneer, Dyersville Commercial, Galena Gazette) and radio stations (WHBY, WAPL, 104.3 The Fuse, 959 Kiss FM, The Score WI) across Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Rhode Island. Woodward Printing & Mailing Services offers full-service commercial printing and mailing fulfillment. Woodward Biz Media provides business-to-business publications including the Material Handling Group (Modern Materials Handling, Forklift International). These divisions operate with significant autonomy while sharing the common ESOP ownership structure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Woodward Community Media: Division informing, entertaining and connecting communities through audio, print, video, digital and event content. Markets include Dubuque IA, tri-state area, Fox Cities/Green Bay/Oshkosh WI, Madison WI, Springfield IL, Bloomington IL, and Providence RI.
• Woodward Printing & Mailing Services
• Woodward Biz Media

Products and services

• Woodward Community Media A division offering local news, radio, niche publications, digital publishing, custom publishing, and live events that inform, entertain, and connect communities across Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Rhode Island through audio, print, video, digital and event content. Customers include local advertisers, audiences, and event sponsors in each regional market.
• Woodward Printing & Mailing Services A full-service commercial printing division providing high-quality web and sheet-fed printing, bindery, mail list maintenance, mailing, fulfillment, and delivery services to commercial customers from its Midwest location with national reach.
• Woodward Biz Media A business-to-business division delivering B2B news and products across multiple market segments through print, online, and live event media channels. Includes the Material Handling Group and serves companies seeking to connect with customers and industry peers via niche trade publications and live events.
• Telegraph Herald Daily newspaper serving the greater Dubuque, Iowa and tri-state area market, providing local news, advertising, and community information.
• WHBY Radio Radio station serving the Fox Cities, Green Bay, and Oshkosh markets in Northeast Wisconsin with news, talk, and advertising programming.
• Material Handling Group B2B niche publication group covering the material handling industry through Modern Materials Handling and Forklift International, distributed in print and online to industry audiences.
• Providence Business News (PBN) Business news publication serving the Providence, Rhode Island market, providing regional business journalism and advertising.

Segments3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Woodward Communications FoundationcoreOthers · 1 January 1956Established in 1956 as a private 501(c)(3) corporate foundation that financially supports communities where Woodward Communications business divisions are located. Has contributed over $8 million in charitable donations since inception.
• United WayminorOthersCharitable beneficiary of WCI's community engagement and charitable giving programs.
• Habitat for HumanityminorOthersCharitable beneficiary of WCI's volunteer programs and community engagement initiatives.
• JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation)minorOthersCharitable beneficiary of WCI's community giving and fundraising efforts.
• UnitedHealthcareminorOthersHealth insurance provider for employee benefits through UnitedHealthcare and UMR, creating Machine-Readable Files for transparency in coverage.
• QPAC (Queensland Performing Arts Centre)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremier performing arts venue in Brisbane where Woodward Productions premiered 'Little Shop of Horrors' revival at the Cremorne Theatre. QPAC Chief Executive Rachel Healy described the production as well overdue for return following previous venue successes.
• Woodward ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduction company division producing theatrical entertainment content including the 'Little Shop of Horrors' revival in partnership with QPAC, directed by Alister Smith with music supervision by David Young.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Gannett Co. Gannett is the largest U.S. newspaper publisher, operating USA Today and hundreds of local dailies and weeklies. It is comparable as a national-scale community newspaper operator with overlapping print and digital advertising dynamics, but at vastly larger scale and with national rather than regional concentration.
• Cumulus Media: Cumulus Media is one of the largest U.S. radio operators with hundreds of stations across multiple formats and markets. It is comparable to WCI's Wisconsin radio portfolio as a multi-format radio operator, though at national scale and with different geographic focus.
• Tribune Publishing: Tribune Publishing operates regional daily newspapers and digital platforms across major U.S. metropolitan markets. It overlaps with WCI's community newspaper model in print and digital advertising dynamics, though focused on larger urban markets rather than small Midwest communities.
• Informa plc: Informa is a global B2B events, publishing, and intelligence company operating large-scale trade shows and trade publications across industries including material handling adjacencies. It is comparable to Woodward Biz Media as a B2B trade media operator, though at vastly larger international scale with events-heavy mix.

Direct peers

• Endeavor Business Media: Endeavor Business Media is a PE-backed B2B trade media company operating niche industry publications, events, and digital products. It is highly comparable to Woodward Biz Media's Material Handling Group, In Business Madison, and Providence Business News trade titles targeting specific professional audiences.
• Lee Enterprises: Lee Enterprises is a publicly traded operator of daily and weekly local newspapers across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. It is directly comparable to Woodward Community Media as a multi-market community newspaper chain with overlapping geographies and similar cost structures, though at significantly larger scale.
• Salem Communications: Salem Communications operates radio stations, digital media, and publishing assets focused on niche audiences. It is comparable to WCI's combination of radio, niche trade publishing, and digital properties serving defined audience segments across multiple regions.
• Emmis Communications: Emmis Communications is a privately held radio broadcasting and media company that has divested print assets. It is directly comparable to WCI's WHBY, WAPL, and other owned radio stations, operating in similar Midwestern markets with a multi-format local radio portfolio.
• Schurz Communications: Schurz Communications was a privately held regional media company operating newspapers, radio, and television across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. Its portfolio mix and employee-ownership-adjacent heritage closely mirror WCI's diversified community media and printing model.
• Quad/Graphics: Quad/Graphics is one of the largest commercial printing companies in North America, offering web and sheet-fed printing, mailing, and fulfillment services. It is directly comparable to Woodward Printing & Mailing Services in product offering, though at significantly larger national scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/woodward-communications-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Woodward Communications