Coshocton County Beacon has new owner
AloNovus Corp. has purchased The Coshocton County Beacon. Michael Mast, president of AloNovus, and Beacon owner, Mark Fortune, made the announcement of the sale to employees today.
AloNovus Corp. has purchased The Coshocton County Beacon. Michael Mast, president of AloNovus, left, and Beacon owner, Mark Fortune, made the announcement of the sale to employees Jan. 2.
AloNovus Corp. has purchased The Coshocton County Beacon. Michael Mast, president of AloNovus, and Beacon owner, Mark Fortune, made the announcement of the sale to employees today.
AloNovus is a family-owned print and digital-based marketing company - parent to such brands as The Bargain Hunter, Ohio’s Amish Country, Wooster Weekly News and Bluefoot Technology.
Fortune founded The Coshocton County Beacon, a weekly community newspaper, in 2008. He has expanded his company’s offerings to include several specialty publications as well.
“Mark and I have known each other for many years,” Mast said. “He and The Beacon have provided an amazing level of service to the Coshocton community. We share the same values, and AloNovus intends to build upon that and further the relationships Mark and his staff have worked so long and hard to build. Mark’s entire career has been committed to serving the needs of local communities and small businesses and I welcome his passion, commitment and expertise to our company.”
Fortune said, “My wife, Nancy, and I are forever grateful to this wonderful community for supporting us over the past 11 years. We’ve always considered our readers and advertisers partners in this business. So as we looked at our options, it was with them in mind. This is a great opportunity for ourselves and our employees, but also for our community. AloNovus is a great company, and Michael and his team have resources we simply do not have. Both companies are family-owned and community-oriented, so Nancy and I are confident the Beacon will grow and flourish. She and I are both excited to join Michael’s team to help it do just that.”
The Beacon staff will join the ranks of AloNovus, and Fortune will retain his role as publisher of The Beacon.
The acquisition of The Beacon marks the third expansion by AloNovus Corp. in the past nine months. The company continues to evaluate growth opportunities afforded by the rapid decline in daily newspaper subscribership against the demand by advertisers and residents for locally-owned, community publications.