Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal (MSPBJ)

What Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal (MSPBJ) does

Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal (MSPBJ) is a regional business news publication that has covered the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area since 1987. It operates as a local market edition within American City Business Journals (ACBJ), the largest U.S. publisher of regional business news covering 43+ markets, which is itself a subsidiary of The Providence Journal Company under Berkshire Hathaway. MSPBJ delivers twice-weekly print and daily digital coverage across commercial real estate, banking and financial services, technology, residential real estate, and food/lifestyle verticals, targeting an affluent professional audience (85% college graduates, 62% in top management, $2.2M average net worth, $228M average gross sales).

The publication runs a digital-first publishing platform comprising a category-structured website (bizjournals.com/twincities), a weekly Digital Edition, mobile applications, and email newsletters. Its core differentiated product is the proprietary Book of Lists dataset — ranked lists of the largest local companies across CRE brokerages, banks, credit unions, manufacturers, and other segments, with the Book of Lists Unlimited tier offering verified, weekly-updated executive contact intelligence. Editorial extensions include Minne Inno (innovation/startup coverage), People on the Move, and BizSpotlight (paid press release distribution). Signature programming centers on annual events and awards including the 28th annual Best Places to Work Awards, Women of Influence, 40 Under 40, CRE Forum, and Family-Owned Businesses Forum.

MSPBJ's revenue model is a four-stream B2B media mix: recurring digital and print subscriptions, display and classified advertising, event sponsorships and ticket sales, and one-time/annual Book of Lists data licensing. The publication goes to market through a sales-led motion with direct enterprise sales teams for advertising, sponsorships, and subscription tiers, supported by content marketing, email, and organic social as top-of-funnel channels. Named advertiser and subject-company relationships span large local employers (Faegre Drinker, U.S. Bancorp, Thrivent, Digi International, Roers Cos.), reflecting the publication's position as a primary channel for reaching Twin Cities decision-makers.

Name

Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal (MSPBJ)

Legal name

American City Business Journals

Website

https://mspbj.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal (MSPBJ) is a regional business news publication covering the Twin Cities metro area, offering digital and print journalism, proprietary Book of Lists data, and signature events and awards for affluent business professionals and B2B advertisers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Business News Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120), Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Business, Finance & Industry Trade Magazines (MPAJAEAM)

Keywords

• Regional business news
• Business journal publishing
• Commercial real estate news
• Business data lists
• Business events and awards

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Subscriptions: Digital and print subscriptions providing access to exclusive business news, analysis, and subscriber-only content including the Business Journal's investigative and in-depth coverage of Minneapolis/St. Paul business
2. Advertising: Display and classified advertising reaching educated, affluent business professionals including top management with high net worth who make major purchasing decisions
3. Events: Revenue from sponsored events including Best Places to Work Awards, MSPBJ Forum series, and Family-Owned Businesses Forum. Also includes paid listings and sponsorships
4. Book of Lists: Sale of ranked business lists including Book of Lists Unlimited with verified intelligence on Minneapolis/St. Paul's largest companies and decision makers

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal is a regional business news publication that produces daily digital coverage, a weekly digital edition, and ranked proprietary business data for the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area. It sells digital subscriptions, Book of Lists data subscriptions, display and classified advertising, and hosts sponsored forums and annual awards programs such as Best Places to Work, 40 Under 40, and Women of Influence.

Product overview

MSPBJ operates as a unified online news platform offering local business journalism for the Minneapolis/St. Paul region. The portfolio consists of the core news website providing real-time coverage across commercial real estate, banking, technology, and residential real estate verticals, supplemented by data products (Lists and Public Records/Datacenter), subscription offerings (Digital Edition, Book of Lists Unlimited), and live events (CRE Forum, Best Places to Work Awards, Women of Influence, 40 Under 40). Innovation coverage is provided through Minne Inno, while BizSpotlight serves as a press release distribution channel. Minne Inno represents the innovation-focused editorial arm.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MSPBJ Website / Digital News Platform Online business news platform delivering local coverage of Minneapolis/St. Paul business news across commercial real estate, banking, technology, residential real estate, food and lifestyle, and regional business events. Subscription-based access with subscriber-only content.
• Lists and Public Records (Datacenter) Business research data service providing ranked lists of commercial real estate brokerages, banks, credit unions, manufacturers, and other categories in the Twin Cities metro area, with company and contact information for sales prospecting and market research.
• Digital Edition Weekly digital edition of the Business Journal for subscribers, providing the print-style reading experience of MSPBJ online.
• Book of Lists Unlimited Premium subscription service providing comprehensive ranked list data with verified intelligence and updated contact information week-over-week for sales prospecting, job search, fundraising research, and competitive intelligence in the Minneapolis/St. Paul market.
• MSPBJ Events (Forums and Awards) Annual business events including the CRE Forum, MSPBJ Forum series, Best Places to Work Awards (28th annual), Women of Influence Awards, 40 Under 40 recognition, and Family-Owned Businesses Forum. Includes sponsored events, paid listings, and award sponsorships.
• BizSpotlight Press Release Service Newswire service enabling companies to distribute press releases, announcements, and awards to the MSPBJ executive audience.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average reader net worth $2.2M and average gross sales $228M
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 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.

• American City Business Journals (ACBJ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMSPBJ operates as part of the American City Business Journals network, the largest publisher of regional business news in the United States with coverage of 43+ markets. ACBJ provides national scale, resources, and shared editorial standards while MSPBJ maintains local focus and authority in the Minneapolis/St. Paul market.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Crain's Chicago Business: Independent regional business publication covering the Chicago metro with subscription, advertising, and event revenue streams that directly compete with MSPBJ's model in a comparable major metro. Operates outside the ACBJ network.
• San Francisco Business Times: ACBJ sister publication covering Bay Area business with the same editorial and commercial framework, including Minne Inno-equivalent innovation coverage and Book of Lists data products.
• Denver Business Journal: ACBJ sister publication covering Denver metro business news with the same Business Journal brand, Book of Lists data product, and signature events portfolio as MSPBJ.
• Boston Business Journal: ACBJ sister publication covering the Boston metro with comparable premium B2B audience, Best Places to Work awards, and Book of Lists product line. Operates as a direct analog of MSPBJ in a different major metro.
• Portland Business Journal: ACBJ sister publication covering Portland business news with the same revenue model (subscriptions, advertising, Book of Lists, awards events). Operates under identical product, technology, and editorial infrastructure as MSPBJ.
• Atlanta Business Chronicle: ACBJ sister publication covering Atlanta metro with identical subscription, advertising, events, and Book of Lists revenue mix. Same brand architecture and parent-company relationship as MSPBJ.
• Crain's New York Business: Crain Communications flagship covering New York metro business. Closely comparable business model (B2B subscription, display advertising, proprietary events and lists) and a direct competitor in regional business journalism, though not part of the ACBJ network.
• Houston Business Journal: ACBJ sister publication in a major Sun Belt metro, offering subscription, advertising, events, and Book of Lists products comparable to MSPBJ's Twin Cities portfolio.
• St. Louis Business Journal: ACBJ sister publication covering St. Louis business community with the same digital-first publishing platform, event franchise, and Book of Lists data offering as MSPBJ.

Regional players

• Finance & Commerce: Twin Cities–based business newspaper covering Minneapolis/St. Paul commercial real estate, construction, and legal industries. A direct in-market competitor to MSPBJ's CRE vertical with overlapping audience of brokers, developers, and attorneys.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mspbjnews
• Facebookfacebook.com/mspbj
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/minneapolis-st-paul-business-journal
• Instagraminstagram.com/msp.businessjournal

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 Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal (MSPBJ)