Farm Journal and AgWeb Complete Integration

Posted on February 27, 2002

Farm Journal Media and AgWeb.com have announced integration details. Two new business units have been created. The data services business, including database management, systems development and Farmail, remain a core strength of the new organization. Steve Custer, senior vice president and publisher of Farm Journal, will manage the new business unit. Current AgWeb vice presidents Chris Poppe and Mark Emery become vice presidents of account services and database operations, respectively.

The AgWeb.com website and its related marketing services are now managed by Jeff Pence, president of Farm Journal Electronic Media. Strategically, the company plans to better leverage the editorial and content strengths of Farm Journal Media and continue to grow AgWeb.com as agriculture's preferred Internet site. Brian Conrady, executive producer, becomes Webmaster and Jerry Shafer takes on additional responsibility for AgWeb advertising sales. CEO Andy Weber assumes an additional title of AgWeb CEO, replacing Randy Williams.

"We're excited to welcome the strong AgWeb brand, its Internet and data services business, and especially its talented people, to the Farm Journal Media family of companies," said Chief Executive Officer Andy Weber. "Both the Internet and data services are vital to our vision of providing business information to farmers. And they're mission-critical to our go-to-market strategy of providing solutions for every step in the agribusiness sales process."

Within the new organization, three new groups have been formed to bolster Farm Journal Media operations. A new technology group, consisting of I.T. staff from both organizations, provides corporate-wide technology and systems support under the direction of Ira Klein, currently AgWeb's vice president of technology. The marketing efforts of AgWeb and Farm Journal Media have come together in a new group led by Peter Horvath, currently AgWeb's vice president of marketing. The new production group handles all print and Internet production under the direction of Suzanne Hayes, vice president of corporate production and manufacturing.

Farm Journal Media is an agricultural media company. Its magazines include the 125-year-old flagship Farm Journal, as well as Top Producer, Beef Today and Dairy Today. The company's broadcast properties are AgDay and WeekEnd MarketPlace television programs and the Farm Journal Radio Network, and its Internet presence is AgWeb.com. Farm Journal Media publishes the Pro Farmer family of newsletters, produces live events, offers custom publishing, and provides Internet and database marketing services through its subsidiary, AgWeb.com, Inc.