News

Centaur Communications buys Miller Freeman's Industrial Group

Centaur Communications Ltd, a leading provider of business information, today announced the acquisition of the Engineering and Industrial Group of products from Miller Freeman UK. The portfolio comprises some of the best known brand names in business publishing including The Engineer first published in 1856, plus five important monthly magazines, one newsletter and four exhibitions.

Graham Sherren, Chairman and CEO of Centaur Communications, commented "This acquisition represents a very exciting opportunity for Centaur to take the leading position in a new sector where many brand extension possibilities exist. When I first managed these titles over 20 years ago, our mission was to provide the engineering community with the most innovative and up to date ideas in applied technology. This need exists today more than at any time in history".

"In outlining this objective we recognise that the most important factor in the success of this group is the people who work in it. Centaur has a strong culture of market focus, innovation and entrepreneurship and we are confident that the team supporting this portfolio will very quickly feel at home".

"Accordingly, the team of about 80 people will transfer to the Centaur offices immediately. The new Centaur division will be headed by Neil Wood as Managing Director, who brings nearly 20 years experience in business media via Board positions in EMAP Business Communications companies, Reed Exhibitions and as Managing Director of Miller Freeman Exhibitions where he was responsible for all the shows in this portfolio and worked closely with the magazines concerned".

Neil Wood commented "This group has a great opportunity to deliver to its readership a set of products and services that add real value to their business lives. Our plans are well advanced for further investment in this portfolio that will lead to significant growth in the future".

Centaur Communications was launched in 1982 and has grown organically over the years. It now has the dominant position in the marketing, design, legal and financial service sectors with an emerging presence in a number of others. This is based upon 6 weekly magazines: Marketing Week; Precision Marketing; Design Week; The Lawyer; Money Marketing and New Media Age, 1 fortnightly, 10 monthlies, 1 bimonthly, 11 newsletters, 8 directories, 16 exhibitions, 120 conferences and an extensive range of digital products.

In August 1998, Centaur welcomed a new shareholder, V S & A Partners Communications II LP, a media investment fund managed by US investment bank Veronis & Suhler, who share the desire of the Centaur management to grow a business which will become the leading business information provider in the United Kingdom with serious global aspirations.

The portfolio comprises:

Magazines - The Engineer, Design Engineering, What's New in Industry, Process Engineering, Control and Instrumentation and Metalworking Production

Newsletters - International Auto Industry

Exhibitions - Control and Instrumentation, Process Engineering, Design for Manufacture and Subcon

For futher information contact:

Graham Sherren
Chairman and CEO
Centaur Communications Ltd
+44 (020) 7970 4504

Geoff Wilmot
Group Finance Director
Centaur Communications Ltd
+44 (020) 7970 4508

Back to News