Our State Magazine
Our State Magazine is a Greensboro, NC-based lifestyle publisher founded in 1933 that produces a monthly print and digital magazine celebrating North Carolina travel, food, history, and culture for 162,000+ paid subscribers, operating as a 100% employee-owned ESOP.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1933
- HeadquartersGreensboro, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Our State Magazine does
Our State Magazine is a Greensboro, North Carolina-based publishing company founded in 1933 by Carl Goerch under the name 'The State' and rebranded to 'Our State: Celebrating North Carolina' following its 1996 acquisition by Mann Media. The company publishes a monthly print lifestyle magazine focused on North Carolina travel, food, history, culture, and nostalgia, reaching 162,000+ paid subscribers and 1,124,000+ monthly readers across all 50 US states and approximately 20 foreign countries. Its core technology stack consists of a WordPress-based CMS, email newsletter infrastructure, a digital edition platform, and an e-commerce storefront, with no proprietary AI/ML systems described.
The business operates a diversified revenue model anchored by tiered multi-year print and digital subscriptions (12 issues at $34.99, 24 issues at $62.99, 36 issues at $82.99) that include free digital access, supplemented by print and web display advertising, the Our State Store e-commerce platform for NC-themed merchandise, the Our State Travel Club for curated experiential travel, sponsored native content, and à la carte sample and back-issue sales at $8 per issue. Distribution spans direct mail, digital, and newsstand placement at major national and regional retailers including Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart, Whole Foods, and Harris Teeter.
In 2018 owner Bernie Mann sold the company into a 100% employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), making staff the new owners. The publication extends its reach through a multi-platform ecosystem including the 'This is NC' weekly newsletter, the Storytellers Podcast, a video series broadcast in partnership with PBS North Carolina, sponsored content partnerships with regional tourism boards, and an interactive games suite (crossword, word search, jigsaw, quiz). Reported renewal rates exceed 60% against an industry average of 21-24%, signaling strong reader retention.
Our State Magazine firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Our State Magazine
- Legal name
- Our State Magazine
- Website
- https://ourstate.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1933
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Our State Magazine is a Greensboro, NC-based lifestyle publisher founded in 1933 that produces a monthly print and digital magazine celebrating North Carolina travel, food, history, and culture for 162,000+ paid subscribers, operating as a 100% employee-owned ESOP.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Our State Magazine industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Regional Lifestyle Magazine Publishing
- NAICS
- Periodical Publishers (51312), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines (MPAJAEAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Travel & Outdoors Magazines (MPAJAEAH), Home, Garden & DIY Magazines (MPAJAEAG)
Keywords
Where Our State Magazine is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Greensboro
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Our State Magazine business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Print and Digital Subscriptions: Magazine subscription revenue with tiered pricing (12-36 issues) and various discount offers; print subscriptions begin within 6-8 weeks with free digital access included
- Print Magazine Advertising: Display advertising sold across multiple platforms including print magazine with various ad sizes (Full Page, 1/2 Page, 1/3 Page, 1/6 Page); reaches over 1.124 million readers monthly
- Digital/Web Display Advertising: Website display advertising campaigns with image size of 300x250 pixels displayed twice on article pages; includes exclusivity on single article pages
- Our State Store E-commerce: Retail merchandise sales through dedicated e-commerce platform offering NC-themed products
- Our State Travel Club: Travel experiences and events generating revenue through curated trips
- Sample Issues and Back Issues: Sale of individual magazine copies at $8 per issue; bulk donations available for events, schools, organizations
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | 36 Issues (3 Years) - $82.99 Best Value! |
| Subscription | Annual | 24 Issues (2 Years) - $62.99 |
| Subscription | Annual | 12 Issues (1 Year) - $34.99 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Sample Issues - $8 each |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
Our State Magazine product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Our State Magazine publishes a monthly lifestyle magazine celebrating North Carolina travel, food, history, culture, and nostalgia, distributed through print subscriptions, digital subscriptions, and newsstand retail. Supporting revenue lines include a branded merchandise e-commerce store, a curated travel club, a podcast, video series, and topic-based email newsletters.
Product overview
Our State Magazine is a single-award-winning print publication focused on celebrating North Carolina since 1933. The company offers a print magazine distributed via subscription and retail channels (over 162,000 subscribers), a companion digital edition included with print subscriptions, and the Our State website featuring articles, recipes, videos, podcasts, and interactive games. Supporting brands include the Our State Store (e-commerce for NC-themed products), the Our State Travel Club (curated trips), the Storytellers Podcast, video series, and newsletter subscriptions including the flagship weekly 'This is NC' newsletter. The company reaches over 1,124,000 readers monthly across print and digital platforms.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Our State Magazine (Print Subscription) Award-winning monthly print magazine celebrating North Carolina travel, food, history, culture, and nostalgia, distributed via subscription and retail to over 162,000 subscribers.
- Our State Digital Edition
Companies that use Our State Magazine
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Our State Magazine technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Our State Magazine partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- PBS NCcorePartnership with PBS North Carolina to produce 'Best of Our State' television content, bringing magazine stories to broadcast audience
- Digital Archives Partnership (NC Department of Cultural Resources)minorOur State Archives maintained through digital.ncdcr.gov spotlights preserving historical magazine content for public access
- Visit WilliamsburgminorSponsored content partnership featuring travel content about Williamsburg and surrounding areas for NC readers interested in regional travel
- Discover Jackson CountyminorSponsored travel content partnership showcasing Jackson County NC destinations, restaurants, and experiences
- Visit GreensborominorSponsored content partnership featuring Greensboro beer trail and local brewery experiences
- Old Dominion UniversityminorSponsored content partnership featuring Hampton Roads Virginia small businesses targeting NC readers interested in regional travel
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Our State Magazine competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Coastal Living: Regional lifestyle magazine focused on coastal U.S. communities, covering food, travel, homes, and culture. Comparable to Our State as a geography-driven lifestyle title with multi-platform distribution and loyal subscriber base.
- Midwest Living: Regional lifestyle magazine covering travel, food, and culture of the American Midwest. Directly comparable to Our State as a state/region-focused consumer magazine with subscription and advertising revenue.
- Garden & Gun: Southern lifestyle magazine with strong emphasis on culture, food, travel, and outdoor pursuits. Comparable in tone, audience, and content mix to Our State's celebration of Southern identity, places, and storytelling.
- Country Living: National lifestyle magazine with strong regional affinity covering homes, food, travel, and crafts. Comparable to Our State in editorial style and audience engagement around regional lifestyle and home/garden content.
- Sunset Magazine: Western U.S. regional lifestyle magazine covering travel, food, gardening, and home. Comparable as a long-established regional lifestyle title with a loyal subscriber base and multi-platform content strategy.
- Southern Living: Premier Southern U.S. lifestyle magazine covering food, travel, homes, and culture. Closest comparable to Our State given similar regional lifestyle positioning, multi-platform content strategy, and subscription-based business model.
- Yankee Magazine: New England's regional lifestyle magazine covering travel, food, and culture. Highly comparable business model to Our State as a state/region-focused title with subscription, advertising, and e-commerce revenue streams.
Broad incumbents
- Travel + Leisure: Major national travel magazine with broader scope and larger audience than Our State. Comparable on the travel content pillar and Travel Club/experiential monetization model, but operates nationally and at greater scale.
Regional players
- Blue Ridge Country: Regional magazine covering the Blue Ridge/Appalachian region, including parts of western North Carolina. Comparable to Our State as a regional lifestyle publication, though focused on a sub-region of the South.
Emerging players
- Taste of Home: Multi-platform food and lifestyle brand with a regional sensibility and strong subscriber base. Comparable to Our State in audience demographic and subscription model, though more food-focused than culture/travel.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Our State Magazine social profiles
Digital presenceOur State Magazine financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Our State Magazine leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Our State Magazine subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Our State Magazine funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Our State Magazine M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Our State Magazine
What does Our State Magazine do?
Our State Magazine publishes a monthly lifestyle magazine celebrating North Carolina travel, food, history, culture, and nostalgia, distributed through print subscriptions, digital subscriptions, and newsstand retail. Supporting revenue lines include a branded merchandise e-commerce store, a curated travel club, a podcast, video series, and topic-based email newsletters.
Is Our State Magazine a public or private company?
Our State Magazine is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Our State Magazine founded?
Our State Magazine was founded in 1933. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Our State Magazine based?
Our State Magazine is headquartered in Greensboro, United States, in the North America region.
How does Our State Magazine make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Print and Digital Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are print Magazine Advertising, digital/Web Display Advertising, our State Store E-commerce, our State Travel Club and sample Issues and Back Issues.
Who are Our State Magazine's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Coastal Living, Midwest Living, Garden & Gun, Country Living, Sunset Magazine, Southern Living and Yankee Magazine. Travel + Leisure is listed as a broad incumbent. Blue Ridge Country is listed as a regional player. Taste of Home is listed as an emerging player.
Does Our State Magazine have an API?
No public API is recorded for Our State Magazine.
What industry is Our State Magazine in?
Our State Magazine's product category is Regional Lifestyle Magazine Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAEAN, Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines, with a secondary code of MPAJAEAH, Travel & Outdoors Magazines. Its NAICS code is 51312 and its SIC code is 2721.