On March 1, 1985, Joe Jones turned in his resignation letter at the magazine publishing company where he worked for over a decade. It was a one-year notice.
For the following year he worked nights and weekends to prepare to launch a company that would have to support his family, watching meticulously that none of his planning was done on company time. Exactly one year later, March 1, 1986, from the basement of his house, he founded Joe Jones Agency, which would soon become Jones Publishing, Inc. Starting with two magazines, a start-up called Camping & RV Trader and a custom publication for a non-profit group, he soon grew the company to a staff of over a dozen employees working out of his basement.
Moving out of the basement, the company expanded its publishing client base and acquired additional titles of its own. In 1990, Jones Publishing began serving two aviation member organizations, the Cessna Owners Organization and the Piper Owner Society. In March of 1994 the company built its existing 15,000 square feet building in Iola, WI, and continued to expand to serve additional markets, including the craft and collectible fields. Additional publishing platforms were added to print magazines to include books, digital magazines, websites, newsletters, and more.
Now in its 26th year, Jones Publishing has grown to 24 employees. The company publishes six magazine titles, serves three member organizations, runs national trade shows and events, hosts multiple websites and discussion boards, and produces several newsletters. In addition, Jones Publishing offers several custom publishing options for companies who want to expand their marketing efforts and increase their influence with customers.
Jones Publishing is a family-owned business, with second generation leadership of son Ryan, President with continued active input from parents Joe and Maggie. They pride themselves in the company’s small-town values, like trustworthiness, integrity, and commitment. But it has attracted a staff of world-class talent, including writers, editors, and technical support that are the top names in their fields.
The daily mission at Jones Publishing is to publish the most vital information for each community of readers in order to promote the growth of the companies who serve those communities. Each member of the JP team adds a unique contribution to the mission and is continually striving to give you nothing less than the highest quality in publishing.
