Mapping Specialists
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1984
- HeadquartersMadison, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
Mapping Specialists firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Mapping Specialists
- Legal name
- Mapping Specialists Limited
- Website
- https://mappingspecialists.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1984
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Mapping Specialists is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Madison
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Mapping Specialists business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Map and Atlas Sales: Direct sales of physical maps, atlases, wall maps, fold maps, and lake maps through the company e-commerce store. One-time purchase model for individual products.
- Print-on-Demand Services: Print, laminate, and drop-ship products directly to customers. Enables partners to reduce inventory costs and tap into revenue streams.
- Custom Cartographic Services: Custom mapping projects for specific client needs including emergency management maps, educational publishing maps, and specialized cartography work.
- Framing Services: Custom framing options for wall maps including Aluminum, Birch, Canadian Walnut, Contemporary Black, and Rough-cut Cedar frames.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | World and Regional Wall Maps |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | State Wall Maps by Globe Turner |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Classic Physical and Political Maps |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Lake Wall Maps |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Topo Maps with Aerial Photography |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Road Atlases |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Lake Fold Maps |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | County Atlases |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | County Wall Maps |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | City Wall Maps |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Mapping Specialists product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Mapping Specialists designs, produces, and sells custom and branded physical maps — including wall maps, fold maps, atlases, lake maps, emergency management maps, trail maps, historical and fictional maps, and infographics — for government agencies, publishers, and consumers. The company also delivers supporting printing, lamination, foamcore mounting, framing, and print-on-demand/drop shipping services as fully integrated fulfillment capabilities.
Product overview
Mapping Specialists is a cartographic services company offering a comprehensive portfolio of mapping products and services. The product lineup is organized as a multi-format catalog centered on custom and branded cartographic products. Core offerings include wall maps (world/regional, state maps by Globe Turner, lake wall maps, county wall maps), fold maps (lake fold maps, trail maps, road atlases), and street atlases (county street atlases for Wisconsin counties). The company also produces specialized cartography including emergency management maps, educational publishing maps, historical and specialty maps, fictional maps, trail maps, infographics, and travel/reference maps. Services include large format printing (up to 60x120 inches), lamination, foamcore mounting, and print-on-demand/drop shipping. The company carries National Geographic branded products and offers Geospatial PDFs and customized USGS topo maps as digital offerings. All products are available through an e-commerce store with finishing options including lamination and framing.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Wall Maps (World and Regional) Wall-mounted world, regional, celestial, and specialty maps (e.g., Africa, Asia, Europe, Solar System, World Time Zones) sold in laminated and paper formats, covering geographies from continents to oceans. Primarily National Geographic and Mapping Specialists branded products aimed at home, office, and gift markets.
- State Wall Maps by Globe Turner Comprehensive U.S. state wall maps featuring shaded relief topography, city inset maps, county/city indices, and detailed coverage of all 50 states, priced at $95.00 each. Sold via the Mapping Specialists storefront as an authorized reseller of Globe Turner.
- Emergency Management Maps Custom emergency management and public safety maps for fire departments, EMS providers, and law enforcement agencies, including street maps, fire district atlases, and response area maps for municipalities and counties (e.g., Freeport IL, Madison WI, Winnebago County WI, Baltimore MD).
- Outdoor Recreation Maps Topographic maps with aerial photography for major U.S. metro areas (Boston, Chicago, Denver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, Twin Cities, Washington D.C.) and natural/recreational areas (Great Basin National Park, Wind River, Wisconsin Dells), priced $99.00–$299.00 depending on coverage area and dimensions.
- Lake Wall Maps High-detail wall maps for Wisconsin and Michigan lakes featuring 3D shaded relief, bathymetry, and enhanced imagery options, covering lake chains (Madison Lakes, Eagle River, Manitowish, Door Peninsula). Priced $13.00–$200.00 depending on size, finish, and enhanced imagery.
- Lake Fold Maps Portable fold maps of Wisconsin lakes and lake chains with fishing information, depth contours, and boat launches, priced $5.95–$9.95 depending on the lake and size.
- County Street Atlases Spiral-bound street atlases for Wisconsin counties featuring detailed street maps, community detail maps, and laminated covers. Available updated editions for Dane, Rock, Green, Walworth, Dodge, Jefferson, and Iowa counties, priced $12.95–$21.95.
- County Wall Maps Large-format wall maps for Wisconsin counties (Dane, Rock, Columbia, Green, Sauk) with indexes and detailed coverage of county boundaries and municipalities, priced $60.00–$150.00.
- Road Atlases Road atlases for navigation including American Highway Large Print and Pocket Atlases, National Geographic Adventure Edition, Northern Wisconsin Road Atlas, Warren's Medium Format Road Atlas, and Wisconsin State Fold Map, priced $5.95–$24.95.
- Educational Publishing Maps Custom maps created for educational publishers covering historical events (Civil War, Ottoman Empire, Ancient Rome), geopolitical topics (South China Sea Claims, 2020 Election Cartogram), environmental issues (Ogallala Aquifer, Mississippi Food Insecurity), and geography curriculum.
- Historical and Specialty Maps Custom historical maps including Civil War battles (Custer's Civil War, Battle of Tannenberg, Battle of Bennington, Modoc War), historic U.S. maps, Mars surface maps, Tokyo 1940, constellation maps, and satellite imagery of the Colorado River Delta.
- Fictional Maps Custom fictional maps for creative and entertainment purposes, including shaded relief maps, oblique perspective maps, and historic-style fictional maps.
- Trail Maps Topographic trail maps for hiking and outdoor recreation including Wisconsin trails (Lodi Marsh, Middleton), national parks (Great Basin), and backcountry areas (Wind River, Wyoming).
- Infographics and Illustrations Custom infographics and illustrations for publications, including topic illustrations (wildlife, medical), scientific diagrams (acid mine drainage), and specialty visualizations.
- National Geographic Maps (Authorized Reseller) Authorized reseller offering of National Geographic maps including world maps, regional maps, wall maps, destination maps, and the National Geographic Road Atlas — Adventure Edition.
- Travel and Reference Maps Travel and reference maps including oblique perspective maps (Canyonlands, Switzerland), detailed regional maps (Svalbard), and comprehensive country maps showing land cover, mountains, and transportation networks.
- Large Format Printing and Finishing Services Professional printing and finishing services including large format printing up to 60 x 120 inches, lamination up to 60 inches in one dimension (glossy finish, 3 mil thickness, UV resistant, two-sided options), and foamcore mounting up to 46 x 90 inches. Available to consumers, partners, and B2B customers.
- Print-on-Demand and Drop Shipping Services B2B print-on-demand and drop shipping service for printed products, enabling partners to reduce inventory costs and tap into revenue streams without large print runs. Mapping Specialists prints, laminates, and ships directly to end customers.
- Geospatial PDFs Digital geospatial PDF products including lake map images in geospatial PDF format for use in GIS applications and digital mapping platforms.
- Customized USGS Topo Maps Customized topographic maps based on USGS data, available through the online store for various regions.
Companies that use Mapping Specialists
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Mapping Specialists technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Mapping Specialists partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- National GeographiccoreMapping Specialists is an authorized seller of National Geographic maps and atlases, including the National Geographic Road Atlas – Adventure Edition and various National Geographic wall maps including World Time Zones, World Wall Maps, and regional maps.
- Globe TurnercoreMapping Specialists resells Globe Turner state wall maps featuring superior digital cartography with innovative features including shaded relief, city inset maps, and detailed geographic information for all US states.
- Milwaukee Map ServiceminorMilwaukee Map Service produces the Walworth County Street Atlas, which is sold through Mapping Specialists' store.
- Yale University PressminorMapping Specialists contributed cartography to the Second Edition of the Atlas of the Transatlantic Slave Trade published by Yale University Press, featuring 214 maps providing comprehensive cartographic account of the movement of enslaved people from Africa to the Americas.
- Wisconsin Historical SocietyminorMapping Specialists collaborated with the Wisconsin Historical Society on Red Arrow Across the Pacific by Mark D. Vaillols, a book about the Thirty-Second Infantry Division in WWII.
- Duke University PressminorMapping Specialists created illustrations for 'Residual Governance: How South Africa Foretells Planetary Futures' by Gabrielle Hecht, published by Duke University Press.
- NACISminorNACIS (North American Cartographic Information Society) is an annual conference where Mapping Specialists participates and showcases their work, including contributions to the map quilt project.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Mapping Specialists competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Rand McNally: Long-established American map and atlas publisher offering road atlases, wall maps, and digital fleet/logistics tools. Comparable to Mapping Specialists as a traditional cartographic publisher with national distribution and broad consumer + commercial reach.
- National Geographic Maps: Cartographic division of National Geographic Partners producing wall maps, atlases, and travel/reference maps. Directly comparable as a premium-branded map publisher; Mapping Specialists is an authorized seller of these products.
- DeLorme (Garmin): Historic atlas and gazetteer publisher (now owned by Garmin) known for state atlases and gazetteers used by outdoor recreation customers. Comparable as a legacy paper-atlas brand in the same customer category.
Direct peers
- Globe Turner: Cartographic publisher specializing in detailed U.S. state wall maps with shaded relief and city inset maps. Direct peer on product category (state wall maps) and current channel partner whose maps Mapping Specialists resells.
- MyTopo (Trimble): Provider of custom-printed topographic, aerial, and recreational maps for hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts. Direct competitor in the custom-printed topo and outdoor recreation map category.
- MapSherpa: Print-on-demand mapping platform enabling retailers and partners to sell customized maps under their own brand. Directly comparable to Mapping Specialists' print-on-demand and drop shipping B2B service.
Emerging players
- Avenza Systems: Producer of Avenza Maps mobile app and map-selling platform serving outdoor, government, and publishing customers. Comparable as a complementary mapping technology provider bridging physical and digital cartography.
- CalTopo: Outdoor and backcountry mapping platform with print-on-demand map exports for hikers, search-and-rescue, and recreation users. Comparable across the trail/outdoor recreation segment where Mapping Specialists also sells topo and trail maps.
Regional players
- Milwaukee Map Service: Wisconsin-based mapping firm producing street atlases and county maps, including the Walworth County Street Atlas that Mapping Specialists resells. Directly comparable as a Wisconsin-focused cartographic producer and current channel partner.
Others
- ESRI (ArcGIS): Dominant GIS software platform whose mapping technology and data underpin much of the professional cartographic industry. Comparable as a mapping-industry partner whose content ecosystem Mapping Specialists operates within and whose articles the firm promotes.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Mapping Specialists social profiles
Digital presenceMapping Specialists financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Mapping Specialists leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Mapping Specialists funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Mapping Specialists 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 Mapping Specialists
What does Mapping Specialists do?
Mapping Specialists designs, produces, and sells custom and branded physical maps — including wall maps, fold maps, atlases, lake maps, emergency management maps, trail maps, historical and fictional maps, and infographics — for government agencies, publishers, and consumers. The company also delivers supporting printing, lamination, foamcore mounting, framing, and print-on-demand/drop shipping services as fully integrated fulfillment capabilities.
Is Mapping Specialists a public or private company?
Mapping Specialists is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Mapping Specialists founded?
Mapping Specialists was founded in 1984. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Mapping Specialists based?
Mapping Specialists is headquartered in Madison, United States, in the North America region.
How does Mapping Specialists make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Map and Atlas Sales are the primary driver. The others are print-on-Demand Services, custom Cartographic Services and framing Services.
Who are Mapping Specialists's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Rand McNally, National Geographic Maps and DeLorme (Garmin). Direct peers are Globe Turner, MyTopo (Trimble) and MapSherpa. Emerging players are Avenza Systems and CalTopo. Milwaukee Map Service is listed as a regional player. ESRI (ArcGIS) is listed as an others.
Does Mapping Specialists have an API?
No public API is recorded for Mapping Specialists.