Tourism publishers and previous rivals Hema Maps and Adventures Group Holdings are merging to create Emprise Group Holdings, consolidating their printed products, which will all be outsourced to Blue Star.
The two companies say the merger will create a content powerhouse capable of generating best of breed media solutions and mapping content, with a particular focus on regional and rural Australia.
Both Hema and Adventures have transitioned from publisher to content producer in response to digital disruption, the merger is said to have allowed them to develop a shared vision with content and data at the centre of its strategy.
Emprise says focusing on content as the core business rather than the distribution mechanic of a traditional publisher, has seen retail print sales for both Hema and Adventures grow in revenue and circulation numbers.
Rob Gallagher, CEO of Emprise and past CEO of Adventures says, “In past years we have both used a range of printers locally, however we have been able to consolidate all of our work with Bluestar. The merger brought about an opportunity in our print production there.
“Across the group, we produce a range of products including magazines, books and a range of maps.
[Related: Blue Star acquires Dominion]
“For both businesses, we have been able to grow our print revenue. The key focus has been on content along with there being maximum distribution. In our sales, we have been talking to the market and getting feedback there. We have grown in what we have been able to do with new designs and work.
“The work we have been able to do with Blue Star has been a major change, instead of having the printer at the end of the cycle, we have been able to check in throughout the process and we have majorly improved our efficiency.
“There are significant, complementary synergies between the businesses and by bringing the two together, Emprise will be able to scale its content and marketing capability.
“As a team, we are excited about unlocking the opportunities that exist for our business built on the back of exceptional content and strong, respected brands.”
Rob Boegheim, CXO and chief explorer says, “We have faced our own digital disruption as we embarked on the Emprise journey. We needed to decide if we were a platform business or a data and content business.
“It is with absolute clarity that we see the power of our content driving our future growth and sustainability. That same content will now be available in more ways, through more partners and to more customers, giving confidence to every generation to explore beyond their known boundaries.”
[Related: IVE takes Pac Mags from PMP]
Emprise is said to bring the content and marketing strength of Adventures together with the unrivalled regional mapping and spatial content of Hema, with a suite of brands boasting a rich history in the outdoor lifestyle and tourism markets.
Emprise says it will hire more than 50 staff across Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and Perth.
Sam Hayward, chairman of Emprise says, “It is rare that you can bring together organisations that have a highly developed product suite to complement a rich services offering. In Emprise we have achieved that, creating a diversified business that has significant growth opportunities in the markets we operate within.”
Matt O’Meara, Emprise COO says, “We have built a content delivery and marketing services team that will support our own brands and the needs of partners. Add that to the mapping skills of our GIS team and our market leading technology platform we are well placed for future growth.
“Transitioning two legacy businesses in less than two years, we have been fortunate to be able to start again with a blank canvas to reset our operations and establish a new operating mindset and culture. This will deliver meaningful improvements to the combined business and improved outcomes for our customers.”
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