Gardner Business Media

What Gardner Business Media does

Gardner Business Media is a privately held B2B media company founded in 1928 and headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, that serves the durable goods manufacturing industry in North America. The company operates a portfolio of eight specialized trade magazine brands—Modern Machine Shop, Production Machining, MoldMaking Technology, Additive Manufacturing, Plastics Technology, Products Finishing, CompositesWorld, and Gardner Intelligence—plus the TechSpex supplier directory and Map Your Show event management software, with regional editions for Mexico. It distributes content across print magazines, branded websites, e-newsletters, social channels, and an in-person and digital events portfolio that includes Top Shops, PMTS, PTX, ECOAT, CONTRAX, Parts Cleaning Conference, Extrusion Conference, Molding Conference, and TechDays, reaching an aggregated audience of approximately 350,000 qualified print subscribers, 25 million annual unique website visits, 425,000 email subscribers, 150,000 event registrants, and 120,000 social followers.

The company's underlying technology is a vertically specialized media platform rather than a software product: editorial content, audience data, and event operations are integrated to deliver custom media and marketing programs to advertisers. Revenue is generated through five streams: advertising and sponsorship across all media properties, paid events and conferences, lead generation services, research and intelligence subscriptions and consulting through Gardner Intelligence, and print and digital magazine subscriptions. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; the company uses a consultative, quote-based sales model with custom multi-year contracts designed by dedicated account managers. Headcount is in the 101–250 range with no identified parent company, private equity, or venture capital ownership in the provided data, and the company is independently operated with a portfolio of media partnership agreements including IMTS, CAMX, and SPS Atlanta.

Name

Gardner Business Media

Legal name

Gardner Business Media, Inc.

Website

https://gardnerweb.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1928

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Gardner Business Media is a Cincinnati-based, privately held B2B media company founded in 1928 that publishes eight manufacturing trade magazines, runs events and research, and serves industrial advertisers and buyers across North America including Mexico.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial B2B Trade Media

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120), Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Business, Finance & Industry Trade Magazines (MPAJAEAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

B2B / Industrial Market Research (MPAAALAA)

Keywords

• B2B trade media
• Industrial publishing
• Manufacturing market intelligence
• Trade events services
• Custom media advertising

Headquarters

HQ city

Cincinnati

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advertising & Sponsorship: Primary revenue stream supported by advertisements and sponsorships. The company produces websites with technical content, advertisements and supplier directories; produces magazines both print and digital; and creates subject matter e-newsletters. All products contain content from third party advertisers in the markets served.
2. Events & Conferences: Revenue from producing a suite of events including webinars, conferences and tradeshows. Also collaborates and promotes events with key related association partners.
3. Research & Intelligence: Revenue from research conducted through Gardner Business Intelligence division, including market intelligence reports, speaking engagements and consulting.
4. Lead Generation: Lead generation services for manufacturers providing qualified leads through multi-channel marketing.
5. Subscription Services: Magazine subscriptions both print and digital, e-newsletters and other subscription-based content. Publisher reserves the right to determine qualification for free subscriptions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Gardner Business Media operates an integrated B2B media portfolio serving industrial manufacturing markets. It produces eight specialized trade publications (Modern Machine Shop, Production Machining, MoldMaking Technology, Additive Manufacturing, Plastics Technology, Products Finishing, CompositesWorld) plus Mexican regional editions, alongside digital media, e-newsletters, events, conferences, lead generation programs, and a market intelligence division (Gardner Intelligence). Its commercial offering is custom-designed media and marketing programs sold to manufacturers and suppliers seeking to reach industrial buying teams.

Product overview

Gardner Business Media is a B2B media company serving industrial manufacturing markets with a portfolio of trade magazines and digital media products. The company operates a multi-brand portfolio including Modern Machine Shop, Production Machining, MoldMaking Technology, Additive Manufacturing, Plastics Technology, Products Finishing, and CompositesWorld (covering sectors from CNC machining to composites). The portfolio also includes Gardner Intelligence (market research and analytics), TechSpex (supplier directory), and regional editions for Mexico. Services include print and digital magazines, events, lead generation, email marketing, and custom content. The company was founded in 1928 and serves manufacturing buying teams throughout the industrial purchasing process.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Modern Machine Shop: Flagship publication covering CNC machining and metalworking
• Production Machining
• MoldMaking Technology
• Additive Manufacturing
• Plastics Technology
• Products Finishing
• CompositesWorld
• Gardner Intelligence
• Techspex
• Map Your Show

Products and services

• Modern Machine Shop
• Production Machining
• MoldMaking Technology
• Additive Manufacturing
• Plastics Technology
• Products Finishing
• CompositesWorld
• Gardner Intelligence
• TechSpex
• Modern Machine Shop Mexico
• Plastics Technology Mexico
• Industrial Events (Tradeshows, Conferences, Webinars)
• Lead Generation Programs
• Magazine Subscriptions (Print and Digital)
• Industrial Buying Influence Research Report
• Map Your Show Event Software

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of industrial buyers use minimum 3 different media types during purchase process
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IMTS (International Manufacturing Technology Show)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partnership for IMTS 2024 and 2026. Gardner Business Media serves as a media partner providing coverage and promotional support for the premier manufacturing technology trade show.
• CAMX - The Composites and Materials ExpocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partnership providing coverage and promotional support for the composites materials industry trade event.
• SPS AtlantacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partnership for the SPS Americas trade show focused on smart production solutions.
• TechSpexminorOthersTool specification directory integrated into Gardner portfolio of manufacturing resources, providing equipment specification data to manufacturing buyers.
• Map Your ShowcoreTechnology or IntegrationEvent conference and management software offered as part of Gardner's solutions portfolio for industry events. Provides show floor mapping and event management capabilities.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Informa Markets: Division of Informa plc that operates the world's largest portfolio of B2B exhibitions and conferences plus associated trade publications, including major manufacturing events that compete with Gardner's Top Shops and PTX programs.
• Thomas Publishing: Long-running industrial supplier discovery and content platform (Thomasnet) covering manufacturers and industrial buyers. Functionally comparable to Gardner's Techspex directory plus vertical news properties.

Direct peers

• CFE Media: B2B media company publishing Control Engineering, Plant Engineering and other manufacturing/industrial engineering titles with integrated events and research products. Comparable in vertical depth and industrial-automation audience.
• BNP Media: Family-owned B2B trade publication company producing magazines, websites, events and research for industrial, design and foodservice markets. Closely mirrors Gardner's operating model and brand-portfolio structure.
• Questex: B2B media and events company with deep presence in hospitality, beauty, healthcare and industrial technology verticals. Operating model of paid media + proprietary events + research closely tracks Gardner's.
• Endeavor Business Media: US-based B2B media company operating dozens of trade titles across industrial, manufacturing, AV, security and other verticals. Most direct comparable given similar print+digital+events model serving niche industrial audiences.
• Sandhills Global: Privately held trade publication company with multi-vertical titles (TractorHouse, Machinery Trader, Aircraft Bluebook) following the same portfolio-of-niche-brands strategy Gardner uses across manufacturing.

Emerging players

• Industry Dive: Digital-native B2B media business publishing vertical industry newsletters, originally for less-industrial sectors but now expanding into manufacturing and industrials. Represents the digital-first challenger to print-anchored B2B publishers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/GardnerBusinessMedia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gardner-business-media-inc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Gardner Business Media