Metal Bulletin Plc
Current list of Metal Bulletin Plc reports, studies, newsletters and wallcharts
Metal Bulletin plc takes its name from its principal title, "Metal Bulletin" that was first introduced in 1913 some two years before incorporation as the Metal Information Bureau Ltd. Its mission then, as now, was to provide must have timely information, including price indications, for the global non-ferrous metals and steel markets. Some time later the company changed its name to Metal Bulletin Ltd and enjoyed three generations of family ownership until 1981 when it was listed on the Unlisted Securities Market of the London Stock Exchange. In 1992 Metal Bulletin plc moved to the main market.
Over the years, Metal Bulletin became established as "the Bible", outside North America, for the world’s metals and steel trading communities and, perhaps remarkably for a trade publication, the twice-weekly publication schedule was sustained until September 2003, when a survey of subscribers determined that news is required on a more regular basis. Hence, Metal Bulletin is now published as a weekly paper magazine, with a Daily Email News Service. Over the years a portfolio of trade directories gradually evolved.
Today, Metal Bulletin plc’s publishing business extends far beyond the metals and steel markets into non-metallic minerals, mining, financial derivatives, managed and hedge funds, textiles, energy, shipping, ceramics, glass, publishing services, statistical analysis, economic indicators and forecasting. Not only that but the breadth of product offerings has evolved from printed newsletters, colour magazines, journals, directories, textbooks, reports, and consultancy to the full range of electronic delivery mechanisms including online real time services and the staging of events around the globe in the form of conferences and exhibitions.
The Group’s diversification may be traced back to 1967 when the monthly title, Industrial Minerals, was launched. Very much an organic development out of the pages of Metal Bulletin, Industrial Minerals covers the markets for those mineral products that are not exploited for a metallic or a fuel value. Over fifty such mineral products are covered which serve virtually the entire spectrum of manufacturing industry worldwide. In 1971 Metal Bulletin Monthly was launched as a complementary title adding value for the Metal Bulletin readership.
In 1974, when the First Industrial Minerals International Congress was held in London, the company introduced a completely new line of business. Over the years conferences have reinforced the Group’s global remit as meetings are now held wherever the market dictates from San Francisco to Hong Kong and from Melbourne to Helsinki.
In 1981 another organic development out of the pages of Metal Bulletin occurred with the launch of Futures World as the forerunner to Futures and Options World (now FOW). So, from the coverage of metals futures in the pages of Metal Bulletin the newly launched title had the remit to cover the activities of the fast growing futures industry that rapidly evolved into a highly sophisticated financial risk management industry across the globe.
In 1986 the opportunity to acquire World Mining Equipment, a monthly controlled circulation title, was identified by Industrial Minerals as a way of establishing a presence in the international mining information business. This was a logical complement to the Group’s metals, steel, and mineral markets activities.
Further evidence of the Group’s mission to acquire and develop businesses which have a performance measurement dimension was in 1987 when Systematics International Ltd was acquired. Systematics’ core activity is in data analysis on behalf of companies in the agricultural machinery business. Over the years Systematics extended its business activities into direct marketing services for the Group as well as third parties, and the provision of customised data for the derivatives industry as a natural development of its data handling capabilities into that marketplace.
It was the Group’s presence and evolution in the futures and options industry that led it to identify and successfully achieve the acquisition of Managed Account Reports, Inc. in 1990. In addition to reporting on activities in the managed funds industry MAR had pioneered the performance measurement of industry players through its bespoke indices. Later, in the mid-1990s, the MAR model provided the company with the ability to run with the fast developing and headline making hedge funds industry by launching MARHedge to track hedge funds performance.
During the later 1980s Futures & Options World developed its events organising business primarily exhibitions that have now spread from London to Frankfurt, New York, Singapore, and elsewhere. Exhibitions and conferences are also a major feature of MAR’s business no better exemplified than by the consistent sell-out event in Bermuda each year. That event is the largest the Group stages with well over 1,000 attendees.
Reflecting the commoditisation of data collection and performance measurement in the managed and hedge funds industries, through the entry of large well known industry players, MAR's database and indices were sold to Zurich Capital Markets in March 2001. Although no longer a specialist niche service MAR retains the rights for the use of the data and indices in its publications for the next eight years during which time it will evolve by continuing to develop value-added information products and services.
In 1992 further diversification occurred with the acquisition of The Wool Record and associated titles. Whilst there is no apparent connection with the Group’s other franchises it had similar publishing characteristics and represented a completely new clientele. The business was renamed World Textile Publications and was further extended in 1997 with the acquisition of another three titles. In 2001 the new title, Fashion Business International, was launched.
In the early 1990's Metal Bulletin fulfilled an ambition to develop a research and consultancy-based business known as Metal Bulletin Research. MBR now publishes about a dozen monthly newsletters and a number of annual reports that provide analytical and forecasting services for the Group’s core markets.
The year 1995 saw the Group’s first step into energy publishing through the acquisition of OPAL Oil Price Assessments Ltd whose principal activity is to monitor petrol pump prices across Europe. Although OPAL was sold in early 2003 it provided the impetus for the Group to invest further in the energy sector through the acquisition of The Energy Information Centre in 1998. EIC provides market tendering and negotiation intelligence and monitoring services to industrial, commercial and public service organisations across the electricity, gas, oil, water and telecom industries.
In 1996 the opportunity to acquire SeaNet, a purely Internet-based shipping information service, was grasped as it had developed an ideal Internet platform that could quickly underpin the need to develop similar platforms elsewhere within the Group. SeaNet was one of the earliest and most successful subscription-based Internet information services. From this acquisition grew the forerunner to metalbulletin.com which today provides added value subscription-based information services to the Group’s core non-ferrous metals and steel communities.
The year 1997 also saw the Group extend its business further in the financial sector through the acquisition of GSCS Benchmarks Ltd that is now fully integrated within the FOW division. GSCS produces a range of titles for the back office support industry and, through Benchmarks, provides performance measurement data for the custody industry.
As a result of a broadened acquisition strategy beyond the limits of performance measurement but retaining the essential characteristic of a high quality franchise Atalink Ltd was acquired in 2000. A significant departure from the traditional business focus, Atalink is a contract publishing services provider that is dependent upon advertising sales revenues generated from publishing contracts on a partnership basis with trade and industry associations and consumer groups. The strategic logic to this acquisition lies in the belief that Atalink’s business model will be able to be deployed within the Group’s traditional market segments to develop new revenue streams.
Later in 2000 a smaller acquisition, The Design House, strengthened the Group’s print and web design capabilities as well as providing a developing business stream based on these skills.
Early in 2001 the Group’s most recent and largest acquisition to date was completed. BCA Publications is a Montreal-based provider of a range of financial and economic forecasting services based on bespoke indicator models. BCA extends the Group’s financial information services substantially as well as its North American revenue generating capacity.
Hard on the heels of the BCA acquisition Metal Bulletin acquired the publishing assets of the Cahners Business Information Metals Group in May 2001. The principle title acquired, American Metal Market centered in New York, has long been Metal Bulletin's major competitor and acknowledged as the leading publisher of daily non-ferrous and steel industry news in North America for over a century. The integration of the complementary titles, Metal Bulletin as the leading information source outside North America, and American Metal Market provides a truly global platform upon which the business will be developed.
Now that the Group has three major publishing units based in North America, MAR in New York, AMM in New York with editorial offices in six other US locations, and BCA in Montreal the balance of the Group's revenue generation has shifted to being substantially in favour of North American operations.
Contact Details:
Order your Metal Bulletin subscriptions here
CMSinfo, P&A House, Alma Road, Chesham, HP5 3HB, UK
Tel: +44 (0)1494 771734 Fax: +44 (0)1494 778994
E-mail: CMSinfo Sales
Order your Metal Bulletin Plc reports here:
CMSinfo, P&A House, Alma Road, Chesham, HP5 3HB, UK
Tel: +44 (0)1494 771734 Fax: +44 (0)1494 778994
E-mail: Jennifer Cowlard
Current list of Metal Bulletin Plc reports, studies, newsletters and wallcharts
Return to Publisher index
