Welcome to Springfield Publisher John Ford last week sold the tourism magazine he founded 13 years ago.
Ford, 66, struck a deal May 6 for an undisclosed amount with Sharon Ladd, a veteran outside sales executive previously with SMC Electric, LA Weight Loss and the Hair Club for Men and Women.
The bimonthly magazine is distributed to some 6,000 hotel rooms across Springfield, providing visitors a city map, restaurant guide, events calendar, and editorial and advertising features.
Ladd, who is married to Missouri State University ticket sales manager Tom Ladd, plans to grow the base of roughly 30 advertisers, including Bass Pro Shops, Wil Fischer Distributing and Mr. Yen’s, and increase the typically 24- to 32-page issues to at least 48 pages.
Ford said he was seeking a buyer with Web savvy, noting his emphasis was in print distribution, to the detriment of keeping pace with new digital media.
“I haven’t participated in it, perhaps, as much as I should have,” Ford said. “It was just time for someone else to step in and take it to the next electronic level.”
Ladd has created a Welcome to Springfield Facebook page and Twitter account, and she plans to run social media contests for travelers. She’s also talking with Web developers to build a website.
Ladd said she is the sole employee and works with a freelance designer in Arkansas. Kopco Inc. in Kansas handles the print work, she said.
With her first issue, the July-August edition, Ladd plans to redesign the cover with a large-format photo.
“Everything other than that I’m pretty impressed with,” she said, noting the logo would remain in place. “I want the legacy. It’s well known.”
Ford said there is still life left in the magazine.
“The world of tourism is really unique in Springfield,” he said. “We are diverse in education and health care, but tourism is right up there. All those other industries bring people to our hotel rooms.”
He noted the sale is not a move toward retirement.
“I don’t know what retirement is. I’m looking for the next interesting project,” Ford said.[[In-content Ad]]
