Bobit Publishing Acquires Bill Communications Automotive Group

Posted on April 14, 2000

The Jordan, Edmiston Group, Inc. (JEGI) has announced that New York City-based Bill Communications has sold its Automotive Group, which consists of three B2B magazines serving the automotive aftermarket to Torrance, California-based Bobit Publishing Company. The Automotive Group includes Modern Tire Dealer, Auto Trim & Restyling News and Truck Accessory News magazines.

Based in Akron, Ohio, Modern Tire Dealer was founded in 1919. Auto Trim & Restyling News (ATRN), which was acquired by Shore-Varrone in 1991, and Truck Accessory News, spun off from ATRN in 1994, are based in Atlanta, GA. Bill Communications acquired Shore Varrone, Inc. in 1998.

Bill Communications specializes in business magazines, demographic information and business conferences. Bill Communications is a unit of VNU-USA, Inc. a wholly-owned subsidiary of VNU N.V., a Netherlands-based media company. Bobit Publishing Company, is an international business-to-business publisher. In business for the past 38 years, Bobit Publishing Company publishes 17 titles including Automotive Fleet, Auto Rental News, Mobile Electronics, Limousine and Chauffeured Transportation, Metro and School Bus Fleet. In addition to magazines, Bobit Publishing Company also produces several trade shows including the Limousine and Chauffeured Transportation Show, BusCon, Conference of Automotive Remarketing 2000 (CAR'00) and the Car Rental Show.