Harbor House Publishers

What Harbor House Publishers does

Harbor House Publishers, Inc. is a privately held custom publishing company headquartered in Boyne City, Michigan, founded in 1969 and operating as a subsidiary of Bound Media Group. The firm produces custom regional magazines, community profiles, membership directories, visitor and tourism guides, newsletters, maps, dining guides, commemorative publications, brochures, annual reports, and supporting identity/branding services for Chambers of Commerce, Convention and Visitors Bureaus, municipalities, economic development organizations, and tourism/hospitality clients, primarily across Michigan and the broader Midwest. Its flagship is the Great Lakes/Seaway Review, a quarterly full-color magazine covering the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway maritime transportation industry, in continuous publication since 1970.

Every publication is delivered in three editions — high-quality print, interactive digital, and mobile — with the company operating a turn-key production model that runs from initial concept and market definition through research, copywriting, advertising sales, photography, design, manufacturing, and fulfillment. The core commercial mechanism is an advertising-funded custom publishing partnership: Harbor House sells advertising on behalf of each client to offset production costs, while clients whose budgets allow can alternatively pay directly for the full-service production package. The go-to-market motion is sales-led and partnership-based, targeting nonprofit and government clients with annual or quarterly publication cycles, supported by a website portfolio, LinkedIn and Facebook presence, and direct delivery through MDOT Welcome Centers and client offices. The firm employs 11–50 people and has operated continuously for over 55 years.

Name

Harbor House Publishers

Legal name

Harbor House Publishers, Inc.

Website

https://harborhouse.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Harbor House Publishers is a custom regional publisher producing annual visitor guides, community directories, and magazines for Michigan and Midwest Chambers of Commerce, tourism bureaus, and municipalities, delivered in print, digital, and mobile editions and funded primarily through advertising sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Boyne City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advertising Sales: Harbor House Publishers sells advertising on behalf of clients to cover the cost of producing publications such as Visitor Guides and Community Profiles. This is a primary revenue stream where the company handles ad sales, copywriting, photography, design, manufacturing and delivery.
2. Full-Service Publication Production: Clients can engage Harbor House Publishers for the complete range of services including research, copywriting, sales and marketing, photography, design, manufacturing and fulfillment. This is offered as a budget line item for clients who prefer to pay directly for production services rather than through advertising coverage.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Harbor House Publishers is a custom regional publisher that produces community profiles, membership directories, visitor guides, custom magazines, newsletters, maps, dining guides, commemorative publications, brochures, and annual reports for chambers of commerce, convention and visitors bureaus, economic development organizations, municipalities, and tourism organizations. Each publication is delivered in three formats (high-quality print, interactive digital, and mobile) with full turn-key services including research, copywriting, photography, design, advertising sales, manufacturing, and fulfillment. The company's flagship Great Lakes/Seaway Review, a quarterly maritime industry magazine, has been published continuously since 1970.

Product overview

Harbor House Publishers is a custom publishing company offering a unified portfolio of print, digital and mobile publications and marketing services. The core offerings include Community Profiles and Membership Directories, Visitor and Tourism Guides, and Custom Magazines—all produced in three editions (high quality print, interactive digital, and mobile). Supporting services include Newsletters, Community/Regional Maps, Dining Guides, Commemorative Publications, Brochures, Annual Reports, Advertising Design, and Identity and Branding. The flagship publication is Great Lakes/Seaway Review, a quarterly maritime industry magazine. The company specializes in regional publications for Chambers of Commerce and tourism organizations, providing full turn-key services from initial concept through fulfillment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Great Lakes/Seaway Review: Full-color quarterly magazine covering the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway maritime transportation industry, including ports, fleets, commodities, and markets

Products and services

• Community Profiles and Membership Directories High-quality, user-friendly Community Profiles, Relocation Guides, and Economic Profiles produced for Chambers of Commerce, trade and professional organizations, Economic Development Corporations, and local units of government. Available in print, interactive digital, and mobile editions.
• Visitor and Tourism Guides Full-color, magazine-style Visitors Guides for Convention and Visitors Bureaus, Chambers of Commerce, municipalities, and tourism/hospitality organizations. Position areas as quality destinations with focus on unique aspects. Available in print, interactive digital, and mobile editions.
• Custom Magazines Custom regional magazines and directories built on over 45 years of publishing experience. Full turn-key services from concept through fulfillment. Available in print, interactive digital, and mobile editions.
• Newsletters Monthly or quarterly newsletter production services for information and advocacy to specific audiences. Full turn-key services including research, copywriting, sales and marketing, photography, design, manufacturing, and fulfillment. Available in print, interactive digital, and mobile editions.
• Community and Regional Maps High-quality, full-color maps in user-friendly format for communities or regions. Produced as budget items or through advertising sales. Delivered in print and mobile versions.
• Great Lakes/Seaway Review Full-color quarterly magazine covering the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway maritime transportation industry. Provides in-depth coverage of ports, fleets, commodities, and markets including U.S./Canadian domestic trades and import/export movements.
• Dining Guides Informative dining guides for communities, providing information on local dining experiences for visitors and residents.
• Commemorative Publications Special commemorative publications for anniversaries, special achievements, or celebrations, with unique concept, research, writing, photography, design, and manufacturing.
• Brochures High-quality, professionally designed brochures ranging from simple tri-fold or flyer formats to elaborate presentation packages and catalogs.
• Annual Reports Annual reports that communicate corporate messages and financial results in professional packages complementing company identity.
• Advertising Design Professional creative team designing advertising on an hourly basis for placement in client print and digital publications.
• Identity and Branding Corporate identity development including logo, name, color, typography, and their application. Services for new brand creation or brand refresh.

Named customers15 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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.

• A Bound Media GroupparentOthersA Bound Media Group Company is the parent organization of Harbor House Publishers. Harbor House Publishers operates as a company under this media group.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Strengths5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/harborhousepub

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 Harbor House Publishers