Our Iowa Magazine

What Our Iowa Magazine does

Our Iowa Magazine is a privately held, bimonthly print publication founded in 2007 by Roy Reiman and Jerry Wiebel in Ames, Iowa. It operates as the largest print publication in Iowa, distributed six times per year primarily through direct mail subscription to Iowa residents, with secondary availability at Iowa newsstands and via an online store for back issues and branded merchandise. The magazine is built on a reader-generated content model: subscribers contribute stories, photos, and tips, and a volunteer network of Hawk-Eye field editors spans all 99 Iowa counties to source local content. Supporting programs include the Lucky I advertiser contest (driving over 5,000 entries per issue), annual photo and writing contests, an Earn-a-Pie contributor reward program, and Burma-Shave roadside signage installed across all 99 counties.

The company's revenue model combines recurring subscriptions (1-year at $24.98, 2-year at $39.98), advertising sales to local Iowa businesses (capped at 25% of each issue versus an industry standard of 60%), merchandise sales through a BigCommerce-powered online store, and an experiential travel partnership with Country Travel Discoveries. GTM motions are community-led (reader contributions and Hawk-Eye network), direct-to-consumer (subscription sales via web, phone, mail), and sales-led (advertising). The publication serves two primary customer segments: Iowa residents seeking community connection through shared stories, and local Iowa businesses seeking engaged local advertising audiences.

The company operates as a small family-involved business with approximately 9-10 staff, including Publisher Elizabeth Klaes, Editor-in-Chief Larry Wiebel (brother of co-founder Jerry Wiebel), Managing Editor Trevor Babcock, Photo Editor Jon Britton, Advertising Manager Stacy Siegner, Circulation Coordinator Mary Reilly, and Bookkeeper Suzanne Thompson. The magazine is not offered as a digital subscription, and no AI/ML, advanced technology platforms, or external funding are part of the current operating model. The business is fundamentally a stable, niche, community-anchored regional print publication with diversified revenue streams but limited geographic or technological expansion signals.

Name

Our Iowa Magazine

Legal name

Our Iowa Magazine

Website

https://ouriowamagazine.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Our Iowa Magazine is a privately held bimonthly print publication founded in 2007 and based in Ames, Iowa, serving Iowa residents and local Iowa businesses through subscriptions, limited advertising, and branded merchandise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Consumer Magazine Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer Lifestyle & Fashion Magazines (MPAJAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines (MPAJAEAN)

Keywords

• Regional print magazine
• Subscription publishing
• Reader-submitted content
• Local advertising sales
• Iowa community media

Headquarters

HQ city

Ames, Iowa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Magazine Subscriptions: Recurring subscription revenue from readers receiving 6 issues per year. Subscriptions sold as 1-year (6 issues for $24.98) or 2-year (12 issues for $39.98) terms.
2. Advertising: Revenue from local Iowa businesses advertising in the magazine. Unique Lucky I contest incentivizes readers to engage with ads. Ads limited to 25% of each issue.
3. Merchandise Sales: Online store selling back issues, apparel, books, puzzles, notecards, and gift items. Products include past magazine issues, Our Iowa caps, recipe books, puzzles, and holiday cards.
4. Tours: Partnership with Country Travel Discoveries for Iowa tours featuring locations from the magazine.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Our Iowa Magazine publishes a bimonthly (6 issues per year) print magazine celebrating life in Iowa, featuring reader-submitted stories, photos, recipes, and community profiles. Revenue is generated primarily through annual/multi-year subscriptions ($24.98/1-year, $39.98/2-year), supplemented by local Iowa business advertising, an online merchandise store, and partnered Iowa tours.

Product overview

Our Iowa Magazine operates as a print publication ecosystem centered on its bimonthly magazine, the largest print publication in Iowa, supplemented by an e-commerce merchandise store, community engagement programs, and travel experiences. The core product is the print magazine published six times yearly, featuring reader-submitted stories and photos celebrating Iowa life. The Our Iowa Store (built on BigCommerce) sells apparel, magazine back issues, books, and gifts. Supporting programs include the Hawk-Eye volunteer county representative network, the Lucky I advertiser contest, photo and writing contests, the Burma-Shave roadside signage initiative, a contributor pie reward program, and partnered Iowa tours.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Our Iowa Magazine (Bimonthly Print Magazine Subscription) A bimonthly (6 issues per year) print magazine celebrating life in Iowa, featuring reader-submitted stories, photos, recipes, farm features, historical pieces, and community profiles. Published by Our Iowa Magazine in Ames, Iowa, with subscriptions sold in 1-year ($24.98 for 6 issues) and 2-year ($39.98 for 12 issues) terms, plus single copies at $6.00 at Iowa newsstands. It is Iowa's largest print publication, written primarily by readers for readers.
• Our Iowa Tours

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 5,000 Lucky I Contest entries per issue

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Country Travel DiscoveriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Country Travel Discoveries to offer exclusive tours of Iowa featuring hidden gems from the magazine pages. Tours are designed to showcase Iowa locations that readers may not find on their own.
• Iowa Pork ProducersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Iowa Pork Producers for the 'High on the Hog' subscription renewal contest. Subscribers who renew within 10 days of first renewal notice are entered to win $250 worth of pork products.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Wisconsin Magazine: State-focused publication covering Wisconsin life, culture, and travel. Mirrors Our Iowa's state-pride reader model with subscription and local advertising revenue streams.
• Our State (North Carolina): Long-running state-focused magazine featuring reader-submitted stories and local advertisers. Closest analog in terms of branding approach ("Our State" parallels "Our Iowa") and community-driven editorial model.
• Missouri Life: State-focused magazine celebrating Missouri life, history, and travel. Same model of reader-driven content and SME advertisers targeting in-state residents, making it a near-analog in a different state.
• Minnesota Monthly: Regional magazine covering Minnesota lifestyle, food, and culture. Compares on subscription-based regional lifestyle publishing with local advertising, though it is broader in lifestyle coverage.
• The Iowan: Iowa-focused magazine published in Iowa, featuring stories about Iowa culture, travel, and people. Direct competitor with the same geographic focus and reader-submitted content model.

Broad incumbents

• Midwest Living: Dotdash Meredith-published regional lifestyle magazine covering the Midwest. Comparable in regional lifestyle coverage and subscription model, but operates at a much larger national scale.
• Taste of Home: Reader-submitted recipe and community-driven magazine focused on heartland cooking. Comparable readership profile and reader-submitted content model, though at much larger scale.
• Country Living: National Hearst magazine covering rural, country, and heartland lifestyle. Overlaps in audience demographic and thematic content, but distributed nationally rather than Iowa-specific.

Regional players

• Iowa Farmer Today: Iowa-focused agricultural publication covering farming news and rural life. Comparable geographic focus on Iowa, but B2B/agricultural rather than consumer lifestyle, sharing the same Iowa advertiser pool.

Others

• Country Travel Discoveries: Tour operator partner of Our Iowa Magazine for curated Iowa tours. Comparable in shared Iowa travel/lifestyle focus and serves as a distribution and partnership channel for Our Iowa content.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/OurIowaMagazine
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/our-iowa-magazine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Our Iowa Magazine