Corporate History of CPI

Community Publishers Incorporated has been committed to serving local communities for over a quarter century. Since the company’s inception in May of 1982, CPI and its news organizations have made it their goal to provide reliable, relevant news and information with excellence.

In June of 1982, CPI purchased their first newspaper, The Benton County Daily Democrat in Bentonville, Arkansas. Their news division has now increased to include two dailies, four twice-weeklies, 17 weeklies, and one business to business newspaper for communities located in Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.

In 1999, CPI branched out into the area of commercial printing services with the purchase of Missouri Color Web. They expanded their reach into this market with the purchase of the Nowata Printing Company in Nowata, Oklahoma, in 2007.

With a solid and established family of newspapers and commercial printing services, CPI now looks to the Internet to ensure that they will be properly positioned to continue to fulfill their commitments to their neighbors and customers for years to come. Since the launch of their first website in April of 1996, CPI has continued to look for new and inventive ways to serve their communities. The launch of 360tulsa.com and 360bentonville.com in 2008 reflect the company’s continuing efforts in this area. Whatever the future may bring, Community Publishers will be there earning the trust of the communities they gratefully call home.

CORPORATE TIMELINE:

1982

May Incorporated at Benton County, Arkansas.
JunePurchased Benton County Daily Democrat in Bentonville, Arkansas.

1987

March Began publishing the News Leader as a weekly newspaper in Siloam Springs, Arkansas.

1988

September Purchased Gravette (Arkansas) News Herald and The Decatur (Arkansas) Herald.

1990

August

Purchased the Weekly Vista (Bella Vista, Arkansas) from Cooper Communities, Inc.

Purchased the Siloam Springs (Arkansas) Herald Democrat and the Shopper News from Smith Newspapers, Inc.

1995

MayTrial begins for anti-trust lawsuit over Northwest Arkansas Times in Fayetteville.
JuneCPI wins anti-trust lawsuit.

1996

AprilEstablished Internet web site.

1998

May CPI wins the anti-trust lawsuit appeal in the Eighth Circuit Court.

1999

JanuaryPurchased Sterling Media, Ltd., based in Bolivar, Missouri, which included the Bolivar Herald-Free Press, the Buffalo Reflex, the Cedar County Republican and Missouri Color Web.
MarchPurchased The Times of Northeast Benton County in Pea Ridge, Arkansas.
JulyPurchased the Marshfield Mail in Marshfield, Missouri.
AugustPurchased the Northwest Arkansas Times in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

2000

AugustSigned an agreement with WEHCO to form a partnership in Northwest Arkansas that combined certain operations with the Arkansas Democrat Gazette.
NovemberPurchased the Harrison (Arkansas) Daily Times, Boone County (Arkansas) Headlight and Newton County (Arkansas) Times from CNHI.

2001

JanuaryPurchased the Christian County Headliner News (Ozark, Missouri), the Nixa (Missouri) News-Enterprise and the Ozark (Missouri) Weekly News.
MayPurchased the White River News Journal in Elkins, Arkansas.
September
Missouri Color Web opens commercial printing facility at Springfield, Missouri, with new Goss Magnum Press.

2002

MarchSouth County Mail in Rogersville, Missouri, launched.

2004

JanuaryPurchased the Republic Monitor in Republic, Missouri.

2005

SeptemberSold northwest Arkansas weekly and daily newspapers to WEHCO Media.
DecemberPurchased from Retherford Publications, Inc. in northeast Oklahoma, the Bixby Bulletin, Broken Arrow Daily Ledger, Catoosa Times, Collinsville News, Coweta American, Glenpool Post, Guffey’s Real Estate Journal, Jenks Journal, Mannford Eagle, Keystone Lake Marketplace, Owasso Reporter, Pennysaver, Sand Springs Leader, Sand Springs Marketplace, Skiatook Journal, Tulsa Business Journal, Tulsa County News, Tulsa Daily Commerce and Legal News and the Wagoner Tribune.

2007

JanuaryAcquired Nowata Printing Co., Nowata, Oklahoma, from CNHI.

2008

AprilLaunched 360tulsa.com.
JulyLaunched 360bentonville.com.  Purchased 360littlerock.com.

2009

JanuaryLaunched 360rogers.com.

2010

JanuaryMerged 360bentonville.com and 360rogers.com into one new site - 360nwa.com