Prairie Business
Prairie Business is a regional business magazine section within Grand Forks Herald (Forum Communications) covering the Upper Midwest (North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota), serving regional business readers and advertisers through print, digital, and recurring employer recognition programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersGrand Forks, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Prairie Business does
Prairie Business is a regional business magazine section operated under the Grand Forks Herald and owned by Forum Communications Company, a privately held media conglomerate. Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Grand Forks, North Dakota, the publication provides business news, executive profiles, employer recognition, and economic coverage of the Upper Midwest, spanning North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota. Its core products include the Prairie Business Magazine in print and digital editions, the 50 Best Places to Work Contest, the Leaders & Legacies Award, the Best of the Best recognition program, and the Prairie People editorial section.
The underlying technology stack is a conventional regional news publishing platform: a parent-company content management system for editorial workflow, a Flipsnack-powered digital reader for the magazine experience, and mobile applications that extend distribution to smartphones and tablets. No AI, machine-learning, or proprietary data products are described in the available information, and the operation runs on a very lean base of 1–10 employees that leverages shared infrastructure from the Forum Communications network.
Prairie Business monetizes through a mix of consumer print and digital subscriptions (with promotional pricing as low as $2 for six months) and, more importantly, B2B print and digital advertising sold to regional Upper Midwest businesses. Recurring recognition programs — the 50 Best Places to Work contest, Leaders & Legacies, and Best of the Best — function as both editorial content and sponsorship-driven marketing properties that deepen advertiser engagement. Customer segments are regional business readers and Upper Midwest companies seeking local brand exposure and employer-brand visibility.
Prairie Business firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Prairie Business
- Legal name
- Grand Forks Herald
- Website
- https://prairiebusinessmagazine.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Prairie Business is a regional business magazine section within Grand Forks Herald (Forum Communications) covering the Upper Midwest (North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota), serving regional business readers and advertisers through print, digital, and recurring employer recognition programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Prairie Business industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Regional Business Media
- NAICS
- Newspaper Publishers (513110), Periodical Publishers (513120)
- SIC
- Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- News & Content Aggregation Portals (BPAMAAAI)
Keywords
Where Prairie Business is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Grand Forks
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Prairie Business business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Print and Digital Subscriptions: Subscription-based revenue from print magazine and digital content access, with promotional rate of $2 for 6 months
- Digital Advertising: Online advertising options including banner ads, sponsored content placements, and digital advertising services offered through Forum Communications advertising platform
- Print Advertising: Traditional print advertising in magazine editions, sold through Forum Communications Company's print advertising division
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Promotional introductory subscription rate |
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Prairie Business product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Prairie Business is a regional business magazine published by Grand Forks Herald (a Forum Communications Company property) that covers business news, executive profiles, industry recognition programs, hiring/promotion announcements, and community business features across North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota. Content is delivered in both print and digital formats, with a dedicated subscription offering at a promotional rate of $2 for six months and access via the Flipsnack digital flipbook platform.
Product overview
Prairie Business is a regional business magazine operated under the Grand Forks Herald, covering business news across North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota. The publication offers a core magazine product featuring industry news, executive profiles, and community coverage. It complements its editorial content with award programs including the Leaders & Legacies Award for executives, the 50 Best Places to Work Contest, and the Best of the Best community awards. Additional offerings include the Prairie People section for career announcements. Prairie Business operates as a section within the Grand Forks Herald digital platform and publishes both online and in print format.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Prairie Business Magazine A regional business publication covering the Upper Midwest (North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota), featuring industry news, executive profiles, awards, and business community updates, delivered in print and digital (Flipsnack) formats.
- Prairie Business Digital Subscription Subscription offering providing individual readers access to Prairie Business print magazine and digital content, including the Flipsnack-hosted current issue and online archive.
- Prairie Business Digital Advertising
Companies that use Prairie Business
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Prairie Business technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Prairie Business partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Prairie Business competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Bloomberg Businessweek: Major weekly business magazine with print and digital editions plus subscription revenue. Comparable as a recurring business periodical monetized through subscriptions and advertising, though serving a national/global audience.
- Fortune: Long-running business magazine with print and digital editions, Fortune 500 lists, and executive conferences. Comparable business magazine model but at national scale with substantially larger audience and advertising base.
- Inc. Magazine: National business publication focused on growing companies, entrepreneurs, and Inc. 500/5000 lists. Comparable as a subscription- and advertising-supported business magazine with annual recognition programs targeting executives and employers.
- Forbes: National business media brand covering executive profiles, business lists, and awards (e.g., Forbes 30 Under 30). Overlaps with Prairie Business in business journalism and executive recognition but operates at national scale and broader scope.
Direct peers
- American City Business Journals: Operates a national network of regional business journals covering local business news, executive profiles, and awards programs in 40+ U.S. metros. Most direct comparable to Prairie Business's model of a regional business publication with subscription and advertising revenue plus recurring recognition programs.
Regional players
- Business North: Regional business magazine serving northern Minnesota with executive coverage and local business news. Comparable regional business publication covering an adjacent geography within Prairie Business's footprint.
- Finance & Commerce: Minneapolis-based regional business publication covering commercial real estate, business news, and industry announcements. Operates in the same Minnesota market with a comparable regional-business-journalism model.
- Twin Cities Business: Regional business publication focused on the Minneapolis–St. Paul metro area with print and digital editions, executive profiles, and awards. Closest geographic overlap with Prairie Business within the same Minnesota market.
- Minnesota Business Magazine: Regional business magazine serving Minnesota executives with industry news, executive profiles, and awards. Highly comparable regional business publication in one of the same states Prairie Business covers (Minnesota).
Others
- Prairie Business sister publications (Forum Communications network): Forum Communications Company operates multiple regional newspapers (e.g., Fargo Forum, The Forum, InForum, Bismarck Tribune) across the same Upper Midwest states. Adjacent ecosystem participants rather than direct competitors, sharing distribution, advertising, and parent-company infrastructure with Prairie Business.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Prairie Business social profiles
Digital presencePrairie Business financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Prairie Business leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Prairie Business funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Prairie Business 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 Prairie Business
What does Prairie Business do?
Prairie Business is a regional business magazine published by Grand Forks Herald (a Forum Communications Company property) that covers business news, executive profiles, industry recognition programs, hiring/promotion announcements, and community business features across North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota. Content is delivered in both print and digital formats, with a dedicated subscription offering at a promotional rate of $2 for six months and access via the Flipsnack digital flipbook platform.
Is Prairie Business a public or private company?
Prairie Business is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Prairie Business founded?
Prairie Business was founded in 2000. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Prairie Business based?
Prairie Business is headquartered in Grand Forks, United States, in the North America region.
How does Prairie Business make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Print and Digital Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are digital Advertising and print Advertising.
Who are Prairie Business's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Bloomberg Businessweek, Fortune, Inc. Magazine and Forbes. American City Business Journals is listed as a direct peer. Regional players are Business North, Finance & Commerce, Twin Cities Business and Minnesota Business Magazine. Prairie Business sister publications (Forum Communications network) is listed as an others.
Does Prairie Business have an API?
No public API is recorded for Prairie Business.
What industry is Prairie Business in?
Prairie Business's product category is Regional Business Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJADAB, Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital), with a secondary code of BPAMAAAI, News & Content Aggregation Portals. Its NAICS code is 513110 and its SIC code is 2711.