The Laurel Magazine

What The Laurel Magazine does

The Laurel Magazine is a regional lifestyle magazine and digital publication serving the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau of Western North Carolina. It produces monthly print and digital editions covering local arts, culture, dining, lodging, shopping, recreation, community events, and regional history, supported by a companion website built on WordPress CMS, a weekly events email calendar, and social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. The publication's primary audience consists of residents, second homeowners, and visitors to the Highlands-Cashiers area seeking local lifestyle content, alongside local businesses seeking community visibility. Revenue is generated through two streams: recurring magazine subscriptions (print and digital access) and local advertising, including business spotlights and promotional editorial content. The company is independently owned and operated, with no venture capital, private equity, or parent company ownership identified, and maintains a single headquarters at 31 Old Farm Rd in Highlands, NC with a workforce of 51-100 employees. Distribution is digital-first with free online content, supplemented by paid subscriptions and downloadable event-specific brochures (such as the Highlands Food and Wine Brochure and the Highlands Motoring Festival Brochure).

Name

The Laurel Magazine

Legal name

Laurel Magazine

Website

https://thelaurelmagazine.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Laurel Magazine is an independently owned regional lifestyle magazine and digital publication serving residents, second homeowners, and visitors to the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau in Western North Carolina, generating revenue through print/digital subscriptions and local business advertising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Lifestyle Magazine

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312), Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer Lifestyle & Fashion Magazines (MPAJAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines (MPAJAEAN), Travel & Outdoors Magazines (MPAJAEAH)

Keywords

• Regional lifestyle magazine
• Local editorial publishing
• Community events coverage
• Magazine advertising sales
• Print and digital subscription

Headquarters

HQ city

Highlands

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Subscription Revenue: Magazine subscription services providing print/digital access to local lifestyle content covering Highlands and Cashiers NC area
2. Advertising: Local business advertising within the magazine and on website, featuring business spotlights and promotional content

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Laurel Magazine publishes a monthly regional lifestyle magazine (print and digital) covering the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau of North Carolina. Editorial content spans arts and culture, dining, shopping, lodging, recreation, community events, and local business spotlights. The publication is supported by a companion website with a searchable events calendar, downloadable event brochures, and a weekly email newsletter.

Product overview

The Laurel Magazine is a single, unified regional lifestyle publication serving the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau of North Carolina. The magazine operates as a print and digital publication with a companion website, offering monthly content across categories including arts, dining, shopping, lodging, recreation, local events, and community stories. Key offerings include the current issue subscription, archived past issues, a community events calendar, and business directories for dining, lodging, and shopping. The magazine also provides downloadable brochures for local events like the Highlands Food and Wine Brochure and Highlands Motoring Festival Brochure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Laurel Magazine A monthly regional lifestyle magazine (print and digital) covering arts, dining, shopping, lodging, recreation, and community events for residents, second-home owners, and visitors in Highlands and Cashiers, North Carolina.
• Laurel Magazine Subscription A recurring subscription service that delivers print and/or digital access to The Laurel Magazine for individual readers in the Highlands-Cashiers area.
• Magazine and Digital Advertising Advertising placements inside the monthly print and digital magazine and on thelaurelmagazine.com, plus sponsored editorial features such as business spotlights, sold to local businesses seeking to reach the Highlands-Cashiers audience.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Our State Magazine: North Carolina's flagship regional lifestyle magazine covering travel, food, and culture across the state. Highly comparable as a regional lifestyle publication with print, digital, and event-driven monetization, though operating at a much larger statewide scale than The Laurel.
• Smoky Mountain Living: Lifestyle magazine covering the Great Smoky Mountains region of Western North Carolina and East Tennessee. Comparable regional lifestyle content model targeting mountain communities, second homeowners, and visitors.
• Blue Ridge Country: Regional magazine focused on the Blue Ridge Mountains covering travel, heritage, dining, and outdoor recreation. Direct competitor serving overlapping geography and audience interests.
• WNC Magazine: Regional lifestyle magazine serving Western North Carolina with content on dining, arts, outdoors, and community. Direct competitor in the same Blue Ridge Mountains region, with overlapping advertiser base and reader demographics.
• Highlands Newspaper: Local newspaper serving Highlands, NC, covering community news and local business advertising. Direct competitor for Highlands-area readers and SMB advertising dollars, though operating in a news rather than lifestyle editorial format.

Broad incumbents

• Garden & Gun: National Southern lifestyle magazine covering food, travel, sport, and culture. Comparable lifestyle content verticals and luxury regional advertising model, though operating at a much larger national scale.
• Southern Living: Flagship Southern lifestyle brand covering travel, food, homes, and culture across the U.S. South. Comparable content model and regional advertising approach, with significantly broader reach and stronger digital scale.
• Travel + Leisure Southeast: National travel and lifestyle media brand covering U.S. Southeast destinations, including mountain resort areas. Comparable destination-driven content and high-CPM regional advertising targeting affluent travelers.

Regional players

• Mountaineer Magazine: Regional lifestyle and outdoor recreation publication serving West Virginia's Appalachian mountain communities. Comparable mountain-region lifestyle editorial and SMB advertising model, though focused on a different state.

Emerging players

• Edible Asheville: Local food and dining publication in Western North Carolina covering restaurants, chefs, and food culture. Comparable hyper-regional editorial focus and local business advertising dependency in the same broader WNC market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HCplateau
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheLaurelMagazine
• Instagraminstagram.com/thelaurelmagazine
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-laurel-magazine

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 The Laurel Magazine