Rust Communications acquires newspapers in Iowa, Indiana

Business Today

Rust Communications Inc., which owns the Southeast Missourian, has acquired several newspapers in northwestern Iowa and one in Indiana from Community Newspaper Holdings Inc., Birmingham, Ala.

The effective date of the purchases was Jan. 1.

The newspapers acquired by Rust Communications in Iowa are The Spencer Daily Reporter, Northwest Iowa Shopper, Storm Lake Pilot-Tribune, Buena Vista County Shopper, Dickinson County News and Okobojian.

In a separate transaction, Rust acquired the Linton Daily Citizen in Indiana.

The three newspaper locations in northwest Iowa will continue to be managed by Paula Buenger as group publisher. Bob Madsen will remain at the helm of the Storm Lake property, serving as general manager.

In Indiana, the editor of the Linton Daily Citizen, Chris Pruett, will continue as general manager and report to Randy List, publisher and part-owner of Rust Communications newspapers in Greencastle and Brazil, Ind.

"It is a great pleasure to return these properties to family ownership," Rex Rust, co-president of Rust Communications, told newspaper associates in Iowa. "Our local publishers are key in this process. The best decisions are made locally, and that is how Rust newspapers are managed."

Jon Rust, co-president of Rust Communications, said, "This in itself - the empowerment of our publishers - has been a formula for our success. It has enabled us to grow from four newspapers 10 years ago to more than 50 newspapers in seven states - including 16 daily newspapers. Chief operating officer Wally Lage, chairman Gary Rust and a team of department heads and associates who take great pride in creating excellent products are the other keys to this growth."

Rust Communications owns other newspapers in Iowa and Indiana.

In 1997, the company bought the LeMars (Iowa) Daily Sentinel and added newspapers in Anthon, Kingsley and Correctionville shortly thereafter. Two newspapers in Cherokee, Iowa, were purchased last year and merged into the Cherokee Chronicle Times.

In Indiana, Rust Communications acquired The (Greencastle) Banner-Graphic and Brazil Times within the past four years.

"We seek to grow the company strategically in ways that we can serve advertisers and readers better," said Lage. "These latest acquisitions strengthen two of our existing clusters."

Community Newspaper Holdings is one of the largest newspaper conglomerates in the United States with newspapers in more than 200 communities. It recently acquired several dailies in the Midwest, including the Joplin (Mo.) Globe.