COLE Publishing
COLE Publishing is a privately held B2B trade and enthusiast publisher operating approximately 18 print and digital magazines plus trade shows, serving roughly 500,000 readers across North American water/wastewater infrastructure and outdoor/hunting verticals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1979
- HeadquartersThree Lakes, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What COLE Publishing does
COLE Publishing, Inc. is a privately held trade and consumer publishing company founded in 1979 and headquartered in Three Lakes, Wisconsin, with additional offices in Eagle River (WI), Minnesota, and Alabama. The company operates a portfolio of approximately 18 print and digital magazine titles plus proprietary trade shows, organized into two distinct verticals: water and wastewater infrastructure (Cleaner, Dig Different, Municipal Sewer & Water, Onsite Installer, Plumber, Portable Restroom Operator, Pumper, Pumper E-Trader, and Treatment Plant Operator) and outdoor/enthusiast markets (Archery Business, Bike EXIF, Bowhunting World, Grand View Outdoors, Hunting Retailer, Predator Xtreme, Rare Car Network, Shooting Sports Retailer, and Tactical Retailer). COLE also wholly owns the Grand View Outdoors subsidiary and publishes a regional title, Midwest Pumper.
The underlying technology consists of a publishing and content management platform serving digital magazine editions, e-newsletters, and dedicated publication websites, with no disclosed AI or proprietary machine learning components. Content is produced by an in-house editorial team organized by title, supported by in-house graphic designers, web developers, and a digital media function. The business reaches approximately 500,000 readers across North America and supports multi-channel distribution through print subscriptions, digital subscriptions, email newsletters, social media, and in-person trade shows.
The company monetizes through two primary revenue streams: recurring print and digital magazine subscriptions (annual billing cadence) and B2B advertising sales within publications and e-newsletters, supported by a dedicated advertising sales team. Go-to-market is sales-led, acquiring subscribers through trade show presence, internet search, word-of-mouth referrals, SRDS listings, and newsletter signups. Pricing and rate-card details are not publicly disclosed; media kits are available on request. The company remains founder-influenced, with co-founder Bob Kendall still active as Owner alongside President Jeff Bruss and Grand View Outdoors President/Publisher Derrick Nawrocki.
COLE Publishing firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- COLE Publishing
- Legal name
- COLE Publishing, Inc.
- Website
- https://colepublishing.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1979
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- COLE Publishing is a privately held B2B trade and enthusiast publisher operating approximately 18 print and digital magazines plus trade shows, serving roughly 500,000 readers across North American water/wastewater infrastructure and outdoor/hunting verticals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
COLE Publishing industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Trade Publishing
- NAICS
- Periodical Publishers (513120)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Business, Finance & Industry Trade Magazines (MPAJAEAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Subscription & Fulfillment Services (Print & Digital) (MPAJAKAB), Specialty & Niche Channel Distribution (Religious, Comic Shops, Specialty Retail) (MPAJAKAH)
Keywords
Where COLE Publishing is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Three Lakes
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
COLE Publishing business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Magazine Subscriptions: Print and digital magazine subscriptions across water/wastewater and outdoor/enthusiast titles. Subscribers can sign up for print editions or email newsletters for each publication.
- Advertising: Advertising sales within publications, including sponsored content opportunities and e-newsletter advertisements. The company maintains an advertising sales team across all titles.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Print subscriptions available for all trade publications |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
COLE Publishing product offering
Product offeringCore offering
COLE Publishing is a niche trade and consumer magazine publisher producing approximately 18 print and digital magazine titles, related email newsletters, and trade shows across two core verticals: water/wastewater infrastructure (Cleaner, Dig Different, Municipal Sewer & Water, Onsite Installer, Plumber, Portable Restroom Operator, Pumper, Pumper E-Trader, Treatment Plant Operator) and outdoor/enthusiast (Archery Business, Bike EXIF, Bowhunting World, Grand View Outdoors, Hunting Retailer, Predator Xtreme, Rare Car Network, Shooting Sports Retailer, Tactical Retailer). The company monetizes these audiences primarily through annual subscriptions and advertising sales.
Product overview
COLE Publishing is a portfolio of print and digital magazine publications and trade shows serving two primary market segments: Water and Wastewater (9 publications including Cleaner, Dig Different, Municipal Sewer & Water, Onsite Installer, Plumber, Portable Restroom Operator, Pumper, Pumper E-Trader, and Treatment Plant Operator) and Outdoor/Enthusiast (9 publications including Archery Business, Bike EXIF, Bowhunting World, Grand View Outdoors, Hunting Retailer, Predator Xtreme, Rare Car Network, Shooting Sports Retailer, and Tactical Retailer). The company also organizes trade shows. The publications serve both professional trade audiences and consumer enthusiasts through print subscriptions, email newsletters, and digital platforms.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Grand View Outdoors: Guide to hunting, fishing, shooting and all things outdoors from the experts at Whitetail Journal, Predator Xtreme and Bowhunting World magazines.
- Midwest Pumper
Products and services
- Cleaner Magazine Print and digital magazine serving owners and managers of residential and commercial drain and sewer maintenance, cleaning, and repair businesses, along with industrial high-pressure cleaning contractors.
- Dig Different Magazine Print and digital magazine serving professionals involved in traditional excavation, vacuum excavation, trenching, directional drilling and boring, bursting, and tunneling.
- Municipal Sewer & Water (MSW) Magazine Print and digital magazine serving municipal decision-makers, sewer and water directors, technicians, and private water and wastewater contractors who install, inspect, maintain, and rehabilitate sewer, water, and stormwater infrastructure.
- Onsite Installer Magazine Print and digital magazine serving professionals who design, manufacture, engineer, and install septic systems and other onsite wastewater treatment systems for residential and commercial applications.
- Plumber Magazine Print and digital magazine exclusively serving residential and commercial plumbing contractors, franchisees, and supply houses providing services or supplies for repair work, pipe rehabilitation, water conditioning, and new construction.
- Portable Restroom Operator (PRO) Magazine Print and digital magazine serving owners, managers, and contractors of businesses that rent and service portable restrooms, luxury restroom trailers, and mobile hand-wash stations, and that offer other temporary sanitation and waste-disposal services.
- Pumper Magazine Print and digital magazine serving contractors and owners/managers of businesses that maintain and install residential and commercial septic systems, rent and service portable restrooms, and provide industrial vacuum service.
- Pumper E-Trader Digital publication and email newsletter helping water/wastewater professionals find new and used trucks and equipment.
- Treatment Plant Operator (TPO) Magazine Print and digital magazine serving licensed operators, managers, and superintendents at municipal wastewater and water treatment facilities across North America.
- Archery Business Magazine Print and digital magazine positioned as the voice of the archery industry, with a primary mission to educate and inform archery retailers.
- Bike EXIF Digital publication and email newsletter serving as a global showcase for custom motorcycles.
- Bowhunting World Magazine Print and digital magazine informing and entertaining bowhunters and potential bowhunters with articles and photography on equipment, how-tos, personality, nature/conservation, and adventure.
- Grand View Outdoors Magazine Print and digital umbrella publication serving as a guide to hunting, fishing, shooting, and all things outdoors, drawing on the editorial experts behind Whitetail Journal, Predator Xtreme, and Bowhunting World.
- Hunting Retailer Magazine Print and digital trade publication providing hunting-industry retailers with industry news, market trends, and business-operational guidance.
- Predator Xtreme Magazine Print and digital magazine providing in-depth content on calling predators, predator biology, and how-to information for predator-hunting enthusiasts.
- Rare Car Network Digital publication showcasing unique classics, replicas, and build culture for automotive enthusiasts.
- Shooting Sports Retailer Magazine Print and digital trade publication offering news and information to help retailers increase profits and stock the latest products in the shooting sports industry.
- Tactical Retailer Magazine Print and digital trade publication serving as the primary source of news and information for businesses that cater to the modern tactical firearms consumer.
- Water/Wastewater Trade Shows Trade shows hosted by COLE Publishing for the water and wastewater industries, providing in-person exhibitor and sponsorship opportunities alongside its portfolio of trade magazines.
Companies that use COLE Publishing
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
COLE Publishing technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
COLE Publishing partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
COLE Publishing competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Endeavor Business Media: Large diversified B2B media company operating numerous trade titles and events across infrastructure, construction, and industrial verticals — overlaps with COLE's water/wastewater trade portfolio and event business at a much larger scale.
- BNP Media: Privately held B2B media company publishing trade magazines, events, and digital content across mechanical, building, and infrastructure markets — directly comparable business model (trade pubs + events) to COLE's water/wastewater titles.
- Hanley Wood (Zonda): B2B media and data company serving the residential and commercial construction industry via trade publications, events, and research — comparable trade publishing + events model in a related infrastructure-adjacent vertical.
- Randall-Reilly: B2B media company serving construction, trucking, and infrastructure audiences through trade magazines, data, and events — comparable multi-vertical niche trade publishing model with similar revenue mix (ads + subs + events).
- Informa Markets (Infrastructure & Construction division): Global B2B media and events group with significant water, infrastructure, and construction trade publications and trade shows — directly comparable to COLE's water/wastewater publications and trade show business at global scale.
- North American Publishing Company: Independent B2B media company publishing trade magazines and producing events across multiple verticals including retail, packaging, and industrial markets — comparable private, niche-focused trade publishing model to COLE.
Direct peers
- Scranton Gillette Communications: Long-standing B2B publisher of infrastructure and water-focused trade magazines (e.g., Water & Wastes Digest) — directly competes with COLE's Municipal Sewer & Water, Treatment Plant Operator, and related titles serving the same municipal water/wastewater audience.
- Babcox Media: B2B media company publishing enthusiast and trade titles in automotive, powersports, and related markets — closely comparable to COLE's Outdoor/Enthusiast portfolio in vertical structure, audience focus, and revenue model (print + digital + events).
- Adventure Publications: Independent publisher of outdoor and nature enthusiast magazines and books (e.g., Birds & Blooms, state-specific outdoor titles) — direct peer to COLE's Grand View Outdoors titles (Whitetail Journal, Predator Xtreme, Bowhunting World) serving the same hunting/outdoor enthusiast audience.
Regional players
- Petersen Media (Petersen's Hunting, Bow & Arrow Hunting): Specialty outdoor/hunting enthusiast magazine publisher serving North American hunters and bowhunters — directly competes with COLE's Grand View Outdoors titles (Bowhunting World, Predator Xtreme) for the same enthusiast audience.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
COLE Publishing social profiles
Digital presenceCOLE Publishing financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
COLE Publishing leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
COLE Publishing subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
COLE Publishing funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
COLE Publishing 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 COLE Publishing
What does COLE Publishing do?
COLE Publishing is a niche trade and consumer magazine publisher producing approximately 18 print and digital magazine titles, related email newsletters, and trade shows across two core verticals: water/wastewater infrastructure (Cleaner, Dig Different, Municipal Sewer & Water, Onsite Installer, Plumber, Portable Restroom Operator, Pumper, Pumper E-Trader, Treatment Plant Operator) and outdoor/enthusiast (Archery Business, Bike EXIF, Bowhunting World, Grand View Outdoors, Hunting Retailer, Predator Xtreme, Rare Car Network, Shooting Sports Retailer, Tactical Retailer). The company monetizes these audiences primarily through annual subscriptions and advertising sales.
Is COLE Publishing a public or private company?
COLE Publishing is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was COLE Publishing founded?
COLE Publishing was founded in 1979. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is COLE Publishing based?
COLE Publishing is headquartered in Three Lakes, United States, in the North America region.
How does COLE Publishing make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Magazine Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are advertising.
Who are COLE Publishing's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Endeavor Business Media, BNP Media, Hanley Wood (Zonda), Randall-Reilly, Informa Markets (Infrastructure & Construction division) and North American Publishing Company. Direct peers are Scranton Gillette Communications, Babcox Media and Adventure Publications. Petersen Media (Petersen's Hunting, Bow & Arrow Hunting) is listed as a regional player.
Does COLE Publishing have an API?
No public API is recorded for COLE Publishing.
What industry is COLE Publishing in?
COLE Publishing's product category is Trade Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAEAM, Business, Finance & Industry Trade Magazines, with a secondary code of MPAJAKAB, Subscription & Fulfillment Services (Print & Digital). Its NAICS code is 513120 and its SIC code is 2721.