Four Indiana dailies are sold to AIM Media Indiana

AIM Media Indiana, LLC announced that it has acquired the print and online newspaper publishing assets and the commercial printing assets from Home News Enterprises, LLC of Columbus, Ind., according to John Cribb, Cribb, Greene & Cope, who represented HNE in the transaction.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. In conjunction with the transaction, AIM announced that all Home News Enterprises employees will be hired and continue in their respective jobs and positions with the new company.

The publications and affiliated websites included in the transaction are four daily newspapers: The Republic, Columbus, Ind.; The Daily Reporter, Greenfield, Ind.; The Daily Journal, Franklin, Ind.; and The Tribune, Seymour, Ind.; two weeklies in Pendleton and Nashville, Ind.; a variety of other weekly, monthly and shopper publications and related websites; and a commercial printing business serving a broad range of clients.

"Home News Enterprises has long been one of the most respected and admired publishing and media companies in the United States," said Jeremy L. Halbreich, chairman and CEO of AIM. "I had the great pleasure and privilege of knowing Robert N. Brown and recently my associate Rick Starks (president and COO of AIM) and I have had the wonderful opportunity to become well acquainted with Jeffrey N. Brown. We have great admiration for Jeff and for his leadership at Home News these past 20+ years and we are very flattered to have this opportunity to become directly involved with these important, high-quality, local journalism operations. We are also pleased to announce that Jeff will remain with the company and retain his current set of operating responsibilities," he added.

"The Brown family has demonstrated extraordinary commitment, support and leaderships to these local communities throughout their six generations of ownership. It is our goal and strongest desire to continue this community service and we look forward to providing the guidance and direction necessary for these publications to engage their local audiences and set the civic agenda and discourse in both online and print for the communities they serve," Halbreich added. "These are important, impactful and attractive businesses located in an extraordinary and unique group of towns in southern Indiana," Halbreich added.

"These publications and the service they provide their respective communities in Indiana represent a great testimony to the hard work, dedication and true community service established and maintained by the Brown family over many decades in conjunction with their talented staff of dedicated employees. We are gratified by the Brown family's confidence in us as publishers of local, community newspapers to build on their heritage, traditions and focus on community service," Halbreich concluded.

Jeff Brown added, "There comes a point in time in older multi-generational family businesses where family members, many of whom are in or near retirement, need to exit from their ownership in order to pursue other interests. AIM came to us with a compelling offer that helps to preserve HNE's local autonomy. We came to appreciate AIM's focus on the importance of local newspapers and our commercial printing operations. AIM brings the potential to continue HNE's growth in both media properties and commercial printing services. Our family is incredibly appreciative of the support of our communities and our customers through the years. It's been a great run and we know that AIM will continue in that same tradition."