Primedia Division Buys Portland Apartment Directory

The Consumer Guides Group CEO Bob Metz says Traditional Publishing has developed a product with a strong presence in the Portland market, allowing his operation to immediately enter the market as the principal provider of apartment listings information. It has already built such a presence elsewhere in the Northwest, including Seattle.

In effect, the Consumer Guides Group will marry its Apartment Guide brand publication and Apartmentguide.com Internet site with the Portland area apartment listing content of Traditional Publishing. Additionally, The Consumer Guides Group will be able to capitalize on Primedia's DistribuTech business, the largest distributor of free publications in the United States, which already has a dominant presence in the Portland market.

DistribuTech maintains exclusive community rack programs with a significant portion of the nation's largest retail chains, including participating grocery, drug, convenience, video, fitness and other mass merchandiser locations. DistribuTech's total delivery network includes over 49,000 locations in 38 states.

The Apartment Publications group division of the Consumer Guides is comprised of 80 publications in 38 states and Washington, DC. The Apartment Guide is its flagship product. Primedia is a targeted media company with positions in consumer and business-to-business markets. Its well known brands include Motor Trend, Automobile, Fly Fisherman, Power & Motoryacht, Creating Keepsakes, Ward's Auto World, and Registered Rep. Its 2002 sales from continuing businesses was $1.5 billion.