Thermopolis Independent Record

What Thermopolis Independent Record does

Thermopolis Independent Record, Inc. is a privately held community newspaper founded in 1901 through the merger of the Thermopolis Record and the Thermopolis Independent, headquartered at 431 Broadway in Thermopolis, Wyoming. It publishes a weekly print edition with circulation of 1,800 copies and has been designated by the Hot Springs County Commissioners as the official newspaper of the county. The publication covers local news, town council and school board meetings, sports, obituaries, classifieds, legal notices, and community events for residents of Hot Springs County.

The company operates both print and digital distribution channels. Its technology stack is built on ROAR Online Publication Software from Lions Light Corporation, supporting a website (thermopir.com), an e-Edition digital replica, RSS feed distribution, and a Facebook presence. The business generates revenue from three streams: recurring print subscriptions (which bundle free online access), digital-only online subscriptions with a free trial offer, and advertising sold to local businesses plus county government legal notices. Content is augmented through a syndication partnership with the Wyoming News Exchange to carry statewide briefs.

Go-to-market is sales-led, relying on traditional print subscription acquisition, website self-serve sign-up, and direct local advertising sales. The customer base is concentrated in a single rural Wyoming county, with no named enterprise advertisers or external institutional ownership. The publication operates with a small staff (11-50 employees) and has no disclosed funding, M&A activity, or AI/ML capabilities.

Name

Thermopolis Independent Record

Legal name

Thermopolis Independent Record, Inc.

Website

https://thermopir.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1901

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Thermopolis Independent Record is a privately held weekly community newspaper founded in 1901 in Thermopolis, Wyoming, serving Hot Springs County residents with local news, government coverage, and sports via print, e-Edition, and online channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Newspaper Publishing

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110), Newspaper Publishers (51311), Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro primary industry

Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)

Keywords

• Local newspaper publishing
• Community news coverage
• Weekly print newspaper
• Digital news subscription
• Newspaper advertising

Headquarters

HQ city

Thermopolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Print Subscriptions: Weekly print newspaper circulation of 1,800 copies sold to subscribers in Hot Springs County. Print subscribers receive free online access as part of their subscription.
2. Online Subscriptions: Digital-only subscriptions for online access to content, e-Edition, and digital archives.
3. Advertising: Local businesses purchase advertising space on the website and in the print edition. Website sponsorship ads and classifieds are also available for purchase.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Thermopolis Independent Record publishes a weekly print newspaper (about 1,800 copies per issue) and an accompanying online edition covering local government, school, sports, opinion, and community news for residents of Thermopolis and Hot Springs County, Wyoming. The publication operates as the designated official newspaper of Hot Springs County, with paid print and digital subscriptions sold to individual readers and advertising sold to local businesses.

Product overview

Thermopolis Independent Record is a traditional local newspaper offering both print and digital publication products. The company provides a weekly print edition with 1,800 copies circulation, complemented by an online edition and e-edition for digital subscribers. Additional offerings include RSS feed distribution, classifieds (available via PDF and online), and special publication supplements. Print subscribers receive free online access, while digital-only subscriptions are available with a free trial period. The publication covers local news including government meetings, school activities, sports, opinion pieces, obituaries, and community events in Hot Springs County, Wyoming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Weekly Print Edition of the Thermopolis Independent Record Weekly printed newspaper, ~1,800-copy print run, covering local Thermopolis and Hot Springs County government, school, sports, opinion, and community news; sold by annual print subscription to local readers.
• Online Edition Online news edition of the Thermopolis Independent Record publishing local stories via the Lions Light / ROAR platform; available to online subscribers ($9/month, $90/year, or via the bundled package) and through a free online trial.
• e-Edition (Digital Replica) Digital-replica e-Edition of the print newspaper delivered online to subscribers through the Lions Light / ROAR platform.
• Classifieds Classified advertisements for local buyers and sellers, published in the print newspaper and online.
• Display and Local Advertising Display advertising, public-notice / legal-notice advertising (as county official newspaper), and other paid local ad placements sold to Hot Springs County businesses.
• RSS News Feed RSS news feed publishing the paper's latest headlines for readers and aggregators.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Wyoming News ExchangeminorOthersThe newspaper participates in the Wyoming News Exchange (WNE), receiving and sharing statewide news content. Content from WNE is included in the paper's 'News briefs from around the state' section, providing regional news coverage beyond Hot Springs County.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Wyoming Tribune Eagle: Daily newspaper based in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Comparable regional peer covering Wyoming state government and regional news referenced by the Independent Record's syndication.
• Casper Star-Tribune: Wyoming's largest daily newspaper, serving Natrona County and statewide. A larger regional incumbent in the same Wyoming local-news market with overlapping coverage of state-level news.
• Jackson Hole News & Guide: Community newspaper in Teton County, Wyoming. Comparable Wyoming local newspaper with print + digital edition, though operating in a higher-income tourist market.

Direct peers

• Lander Journal: Weekly newspaper serving Lander, Wyoming in Fremont County. Directly comparable rural Wyoming community newspaper covering local government, schools, and sports.
• Worland Gazette: Weekly newspaper serving Washakie County, Wyoming — neighboring Big Horn Basin county. Highly comparable rural Wyoming weekly newspaper structure.
• Cody Enterprise: A weekly local newspaper serving Park County, Wyoming. Direct comparable — similar rural Wyoming weekly newspaper serving a small county with print + digital subscriptions and local advertising.
• Riverton Ranger: Weekly newspaper serving Fremont County, Wyoming — adjacent county to Hot Springs County. Comparable small-town Wyoming weekly with print + digital distribution and local advertising model.
• Sheridan Press: Daily newspaper in Sheridan, Wyoming. Comparable Wyoming community newspaper with print and digital subscriptions and local advertising revenue.
• Gillette News Record: Daily newspaper serving Campbell County, Wyoming. Similar small-market Wyoming newspaper with print and online edition and local advertising base.
• Powell Tribune: Weekly community newspaper in Powell, Wyoming (Park County). Comparable rural Wyoming weekly with print circulation and online edition, covering local government, schools, and sports.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/independent-record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Thermopolis Independent Record