Ex-Emap staff acquire Mining Communications

Three former Emap staff have acquired the B2B company Mining Communications and one of the world’s oldest industrial newspapers – Mining Journal.

Chris Innis, a former strategic planner at Emap, and former business division directors Rob Barrowman and Keith Dalton were behind the management buy-in, which includes Mining magazine, a monthly founded in 1909 by the former US president Herbert Hoover, Mining Environmental Management, No-Dig International, geoDrilling and World Tunnelling. Mining Journal, which launched in 1835, claims to be the world’s oldest industrial newspaper. The company also has a books division and a number of internet and CD products.

“The present management had taken them as they far as they wanted and we now see some great opportunities to leverage new ventures – particularly in the areas of conferences, awards, exhibitions and contract publishing,” Innis said.

Barrowman, a former managing director of Emap Automotive, will be managing director and Dalton, a former publishing director of Emap’s Fleet titles, will be commercial director. Innis, who spent six years as a strategic planner at Emap, will take on the role of acting chairman.

Two of the former directors of Mining Journal, Lawrie Williams and Chris Hinde, will remain with the new company – Williams as editor of World Tunnelling and Hinde as editorial director. Michael West, who was chairman, is taking retirement.

By Ruth Addicott