What Grand Rapids Magazine does

Grand Rapids Magazine is a regional lifestyle magazine founded in 1964 and operated from Grand Rapids, Michigan under the Hour Media publishing umbrella. It serves West Michigan residents with coverage of local food and drink, people and places, arts and entertainment, culture, lifestyle, and municipal news. The publication runs both print and digital editions, with digital subscriptions managed through SimpleCirc and digital editions distributed via Issuu, and reaches readers through a website (grmag.com), a weekly email newsletter, newsstand distribution, and social channels on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Its core product portfolio centers on the monthly/bi-monthly magazine, supplemented by annual special advertising sections (Top Doctors, Top Dentists, Top Lawyers, Real Estate All-Stars, Featured Physicians, Senior Care), the annual "Best of Grand Rapids" awards program and party, a Visitor Guide, and a daily photo gallery called "Picture This." Editor Lisa Enos oversees editorial content, with additional bylines from staff and freelance contributors.

The business model is a traditional two-sided publishing model. Revenue is generated from advertising — primarily through special advertising sections sold to local professional services such as healthcare providers, legal professionals, real estate agents, and retail establishments — and from print and digital magazine subscriptions. Audience reach is anchored by community events, notably the annual Best of Grand Rapids Party, which functions as both a reader engagement and advertiser activation channel. The company is privately held, with no disclosed funding rounds, and operates with a small staff band of 11–50 employees.

Name

Grand Rapids Magazine

Legal name

Hour Media

Website

https://grmag.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Grand Rapids Magazine is a regional lifestyle magazine founded in 1964, published by Hour Media in Grand Rapids, Michigan, serving West Michigan residents with print and digital editions, special advertising sections, and the annual Best of Grand Rapids awards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand Rapids

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advertising: The magazine generates revenue primarily through advertising, featuring special advertising sections for local businesses including healthcare providers, real estate professionals, legal services, travel destinations, and retail establishments.
2. Subscriptions: Revenue generated from digital and print magazine subscriptions through simplecirc.com platform. Subscribers pay for ongoing magazine access.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Grand Rapids Magazine is a regional lifestyle magazine published in print and digital formats that covers people, food and drink, culture, arts and entertainment, lifestyle, and news for Grand Rapids and West Michigan. It distributes content through a website (grmag.com), an email newsletter, social media, print subscriptions, and newsstand sales, and supplements the core magazine with annual special advertising directories (Top Doctors, Top Dentists, Top Lawyers, Real Estate All-Stars), the Best of Grand Rapids awards, a daily Picture This photo gallery, and a visitor guide publication. Revenue comes primarily from advertising sold to local businesses and from paid print and digital subscriptions managed through SimpleCirc.

Product overview

Grand Rapids Magazine is a single, unified local lifestyle publication covering Grand Rapids, Michigan. The magazine offers print and digital editions, a daily photo gallery (Picture This), and an annual Best of Grand Rapids awards program. The publication also produces several annual special advertising sections including Top Doctors, Top Dentists, Top Lawyers, and Real Estate All-Stars, as well as a Visitor Publications guide. Subscription services are managed through SimpleCirc, while digital editions are distributed via Issuu.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grand Rapids Magazine Regional lifestyle magazine covering people, food and drink, culture, arts and entertainment, lifestyle, and news of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Published in print and digital formats and targeted at West Michigan residents and visitors seeking local editorial coverage.
• Best of Grand Rapids Annual awards program recognizing the best local businesses and professionals in the Grand Rapids area, covering categories such as restaurants, retail, services, and professional services, paired with the annual Best of Grand Rapids Party community event.
• Digital Edition Online digital version of the magazine accessible through the Issuu platform, featuring the same content as the print edition and available to digital subscribers and single-issue buyers.
• Grand Rapids Magazine Newsletter Email newsletter delivering regular updates about local events, feature stories, and magazine content to subscribers, supporting reader engagement and traffic to grmag.com.
• Picture This Daily photo gallery showcasing local photography and visual content from the Grand Rapids community, distributed through the grmag.com website as an ongoing visual editorial product.
• Subscription Services Paid subscription service managed through the SimpleCirc platform, providing ongoing print delivery and digital access to Grand Rapids Magazine for individual subscribers, with single-issue purchases also available.
• Grand Rapids Visitor Guide Annual visitor guide publication promoting local attractions, dining, and tourism in the Grand Rapids area, distributed digitally via Issuu and aimed at visitors to the region.
• Top Doctors Directory Annual special advertising section listing top medical professionals in the Grand Rapids area, developed in partnership with Professional Research Services and monetized through paid directory placements.
• Top Dentists Directory Annual special advertising section listing top dental professionals in the Grand Rapids area, monetized through paid directory placements by local dental practices.
• Top Lawyers Directory Annual special advertising section listing top legal professionals in the Grand Rapids area, monetized through paid directory placements by local law firms.
• Real Estate All-Stars Directory Annual special advertising section recognizing top real estate agents and mortgage professionals in the Grand Rapids area, monetized through paid placements by local real estate and mortgage firms.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/grmagazine
• Facebookfacebook.com/grmag
• Pinterestpinterest.com/grmagazine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Grand Rapids Magazine