Burlington-based Da Capo Publishing, dba Seven Days, has purchased Kids VT, Vermont’s monthly parenting publication. The February issue will be the first one published by the new owners.
Kim Kropf started Kids VT in 1994, when her own kids were young, and Susan Holson, too, raised children while growing the business which consists of a newspaper, website, a family resource guide and an annual camp and school fair. Sixteen years later, with their kids heading off to college, Holson and Kropf were looking for a change. They approached Seven Days.
‘We have great confidence that we are leaving our ‘baby’ in the best possible hands, and that the Seven Days team will nurture it and steward it through its next great growth phase,’ says Holson, Kids VT’s editor and co-publisher. Kropf served as the publication’s co-publisher and ad director.
‘Susan and Kim did all the hard work,’ says Seven Days Publisher Paula Routly. ‘Thanks to their dedication, the publication is in great shape ‘ the recession barely made an impact.’
Kids VT will get a fresh start under the leadership of Seven Days Associate Publishers Colby Roberts, Don Eggert and Cathy Resmer. The February issue of Kids VT will feature an updated design, and will carry new, local, kid-friendly content ‘ including news stories relating to education, child care and other issues of interest to parents and caregivers. Kidsvt.com will undergo a similar redesign.
Photo: Kids VT Publisher Colby Roberts and Editor Cathy Resmer, with Lily and Nola Roberts, and Graham and Ivy Resmer. Photo by: Matthew Thorsen
‘Vermont is a great place for families,’ notes Resmer, a parent of two who will oversee the editorial side of the operation. ‘How many times have you heard people say they moved here, or moved back, to raise their kids? We want Kids VT to continue to connect these families to the community, and to reflect their lives ‘ both in print and online.’
Routly says the decision to purchase another title was motivated at least in part by the number of Seven Days employees who are having children. ‘At least half our staff are parents now,’ she says. ‘It’s made us realize that we have an opportunity to grow in this direction.’
Though primarily geared toward parents, Kids VT will be ‘kid-safe,’ Routly promises. ‘If children find it lying around, great. Of course, when they’re grown-up enough, we hope they’ll graduate to Seven Days.’
Lynne Silva of The Silva Group, brokered the deal on behalf of Kids VT. Da Capo Publishing was advised by Seija Goldstein Associates.
Seven Days was founded in 1995 by Routly and Pamela Polston, and is now owned by Routly, Polston, Eggert, Resmer and Roberts. The company has grown from an original staff of seven to 44 employees today.
Seven Days publishes a weekly newspaper every Wednesday, as well as three e-newsletters, two award-winning glossy annual guides ‘ the 7 Nights dining guide and What’s Good student guide.
In 2000, the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce selected then-5-year-old Seven Days as ‘Business of the Year.’ Eight years later, the Burlington Business Association did the same, citing the company’s exemplary business practices, contributions to the community, and promotion of a positive image for Burlington and business success.
In 2010, Seven Days expanded its print circulation from 34,000 to 35,000; added two new, full-time positions in its newsroom; launched a daily e-newsletter, the Daily 7, which delivers the top seven Vermont headlines; marked the 200th episode of ‘Stuck in Vermont,’ its award-winning weekly web video series; launched the first ever Vermont Restaurant Week, which celebrates the state’s culinary culture; and helped organize the fourth Vermont Tech Jam, a yearly job fair and tech expo, with the Vermont Software Developers’ Alliance, the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Vermont Department of Labor.
Top Photo: Seven Days buys Kids VT (from left to right): Colby Roberts, Don Eggert, Cathy Resmer, Paula Routly, Pamela Polston, Kim Kropf, Lynn Silva, Susan Holson. Photo by Andy Duback