CROSBY ASSOCIATES

What CROSBY ASSOCIATES does

Crosby Associates Media is a UK-based specialist B2B media and contract publishing business founded in 1997 and headquartered in Warrington, with a secondary presence in Liverpool. The company operates a portfolio of more than 30 established media and event brands spanning the housing, building, and construction sectors, including Housing Executive, London Business Matters, One Voice, Roofing Trades Journal, NASC Yearbook, BritBuild, and Housebuild, alongside events such as Build North Expo and the newly launched Housing Executive Awards. Its products are delivered across print, digital, and video channels, supported by in-house production capabilities and a combined monthly readership reported at over 400,000.

The company's core business model centres on long-term contract publishing for trade federations, chambers of commerce, and professional membership organisations, supplemented by advertising sales (both print and digital display), event sponsorship, sponsored content, and bespoke digital services including email marketing and website development. Crosby's go-to-market is predominantly enterprise field sales targeting B2B clients that want to reach specific trade audiences, layered with event-driven sponsorship opportunities. Customers include the Confederation of Roofing Contractors, Stone Federation, London Chamber of Commerce, National Federation of Builders, Builders Merchants Federation, NASC, and several regional UK chambers.

In November 2025, Crosby was acquired by Finelight Group, one of the UK's fastest-growing B2B media and events groups, integrating its 30+ brand portfolio into a larger platform. Leadership is led by founder and chairman Lee Carroll, managing director Nick Fellows, and sales director Linda Fellows (appointed May 2025). Recent activity in 2025 included record trading performance, the launch of new brands such as Rochdale Times and Housing Executive Awards, and an announced ramp-up in hiring to support continued growth.

Name

CROSBY ASSOCIATES

Legal name

Crosby Associates Media Limited

Website

https://crosbyassociates.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Crosby Associates Media is a UK-based B2B contract publishing and events business serving trade federations, chambers of commerce, and housing/construction sector organisations through 30+ print, digital, and event brands with 400,000+ combined monthly readership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Liverpool

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advertising Sales: Revenue from advertising placements across print magazines, digital websites, and digital display advertising. Multiple advertising contacts listed for different publications.
2. Event Sponsorship: Revenue from event sponsorship packages including awards ceremonies like the Housing Executive Awards. Based on tiered sponsorship fees with 30-day payment terms.
3. Contract Publishing: Bespoke publishing solutions for trade federations, chambers of commerce, and professional membership organisations. Includes magazines, yearbooks, directories, wallplanners, and digital publications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Crosby Associates Media provides contract publishing, advertising sales, event sponsorship, and digital marketing services for trade federations, chambers of commerce, and professional membership organisations across the housing, building, and construction sectors. The company produces magazines, yearbooks, directories, wallplanners, and specialist digital publications under long-term publishing agreements, and monetises audience reach through advertising sales and event sponsorship.

Product overview

Crosby Associates Media is a specialist B2B media and communications business providing publishing, digital, and event solutions across print, digital, and video channels. The company operates a portfolio of over 30 established media and event brands spanning the Housing, Building & Construction sectors, along with trade federations and professional membership organisations. Services include contract publishing, digital marketing, website development, sponsored content, events management, and membership communications. The portfolio includes publications such as Housing Executive, London Business Matters, Business Direction, One Voice, BritBuild, NFB Handbook, Housebuild, Homes Magazine, Natural Stone Source Book, Building & Construction Scotland, Roofing Trades Journal, and Rochdale Times, as well as events including Build North Expo and Housing Executive Awards. The company also provides digital services through partner profiles, digital display advertising, email marketing, and website development, serving clients through print, online, video, and events channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Housing Executive: Magazine website and publication serving the housing sector
• Business Direction
• London Business Matters
• Rochdale Times
• One Voice
• The Voice
• Housebuild
• NFB Heritage
• Homes Magazine
• NASC Yearbook
• The Natural Stone Source Book
• Build North Expo
• Housing Executive Awards
• P&H Voice
• Building & Construction Scotland
• Focus Magazine

Products and services

• London Business Matters Bi-monthly magazine for London's business community produced in partnership with the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
• Housing Executive Magazine covering the UK's housing sector, including policy shifts, regeneration schemes, sustainability challenges, and community success stories.
• One Voice (BMF) Quarterly member magazine for the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF), covering the organisation's activities, lobbying efforts, and networking events.
• BritBuild Magazine Magazine serving the building and construction industry.
• NFB Handbook / Yearbook Annual yearbook and members directory for the National Federation of Builders (NFB), distributed to all members, key federations, planning departments, and available as a digital edition.
• Housebuild Official magazine of the House Builders Association (HBA), focusing on industry news in planning, environment, government, finance, and future materials.
• Homes Magazine Quarterly glossy consumer magazine distributed through supermarkets across the North of England, targeting first-time buyers. Distributed free through Asda, Morrisons, Tesco, Co-Op and Sainsbury.
• Natural Stone Source Book A specifier's guide for the natural stone industry, distributed to commissioners of Stone Federation members' work, key architects' practices, main contractors, and major clients.
• Building & Construction Scotland Bi-annual publication produced on behalf of the Scottish Building Federation, highlighting projects and providing news relevant to the Scottish building sector.
• Roofing Trades Journal Quarterly magazine for the Confederation of Roofing Contractors (CORC) providing industry news and member directory.
• Rochdale Times Local news website for the Rochdale area launched in April 2025, providing community-focused journalism and local coverage. Reached 200,000 monthly page views within four months of launch.
• Build News Online news platform providing news and updates across the building and construction sector.
• The Voice Magazine publication serving Chamber of Commerce members.
• NASC Yearbook Over 200-page yearbook for the National Association of Scaffolding Contractors, covering history and developments in the UK scaffolding industry, with comprehensive member directory.
• Business Voice Magazine publication for the Chamber of Commerce business community.
• Build North Expo Trade expo event serving the building and construction industry in the North of England, expanding to Leeds.
• Housing Executive Awards Annual awards ceremony recognising excellence in the UK housing sector, launching in 2025 at Bolton Wanderers Stadium.
• CORC Yearbook Annual yearbook and members directory for the Confederation of Roofing Contractors (CORC), providing a comprehensive list of roofing contractors.
• Partner Profiles Advertising Advertising section on specialist magazine websites providing targeted audience reach for specific business sectors.
• Digital Display Advertising Online advertising solutions across the portfolio of specialist magazine websites with combined monthly audience reach.
• eMarketing Services Electronic marketing services including email campaigns and newsletters across Crosby's media brands.
• Sponsored Content Native advertising and sponsored editorial content opportunities across print and digital publications.
• Websites & eCommerce Development Website development and ecommerce solutions for clients, creating online presence for publications and businesses.
• Chamber Wallplanners and Diaries Annual wallplanners and desk diaries produced for Chambers of Commerce, distributed free to members and to heads of department, civic leaders, and prominent employers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Monthly readership exceeding 400,000 across portfolio
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Finelight GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 November 2025Finelight Group, one of the UK's fastest-growing B2B media and events groups, acquired Crosby Associates Media in November 2025. The acquisition brings Crosby's 30+ media and event brands and 400,000+ monthly readership into Finelight's portfolio, deepening their presence in housing, building and construction sectors.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Informa: Global B2B media, events, and information group with extensive trade publishing and exhibitions portfolio across multiple verticals. Larger, more diversified incumbent operating the same fundamental business model at scale.
• EMAP (Bauer Media B2B): Major UK B2B media publisher operating trade magazines, events, and digital platforms across multiple industries. Broader and more diversified portfolio than Crosby, but overlapping business model in trade publishing and events.

Direct peers

• William Reed: UK B2B media and events group serving food, drink, and hospitality sectors with publications, awards, and exhibitions. Same trade-publishing-for-verticals business model as Crosby Associates, with strong events component.
• Insider Media: UK regional B2B publisher producing business magazines, digital news, and events tied to chambers and regional business communities. Overlaps with Crosby's chamber-of-commerce publishing and regional business magazine activity.
• Mark Allen Group: UK-based B2B media company operating contract publishing, events, and digital services across multiple trade verticals. Closely comparable business model to Crosby Associates, with similar federations-and-associations client base and multi-channel publishing approach.
• Hemming Group: Specialist UK B2B publisher focused on construction, infrastructure, and built environment sectors. Directly comparable to Crosby's building and construction publishing portfolio, including magazines, events, and awards.
• Metropolis Group: UK B2B publisher producing trade magazines, digital content, and events across professional services verticals. Closely aligned business model with multi-brand portfolio and contract publishing services.
• Datateam Publishing: UK B2B media company producing trade publications, websites, awards, and events for niche vertical markets. Highly comparable multi-brand, multi-channel publishing and events model to Crosby Associates.

Regional players

• Prolific North: North of England-focused B2B media title covering the region's creative, digital, and media industries. Regional adjacency to Crosby's North-of-England geographic concentration, though serving a different vertical.

Emerging players

• Raconteur Media: UK-based B2B content and media company producing sponsored reports, digital features, and special editions for business audiences. Overlaps with Crosby's sponsored-content and digital display revenue lines, though distribution model differs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/nick-fellows-0b413127
• Xx.com/crosbyassociate
• Facebookfacebook.com/crosbyassociatesltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 CROSBY ASSOCIATES