After Amanda and I purchased the Fillmore County Journal in 2009, I started to recognize underserved opportunities in the market.
Based on the talent we’ve attracted, I have always considered our company to be media, marketing and technology focused.
SMG Web Design
Many businesses were seeking web design services outside of the area, so we launched SMG Web Design in October 2009. Under the leadership of Michelle Quanrud, we have continued to grow and evolve with the industry. This also allowed our own media company to bring our website services in-house. Since then, www.fillmorecountyjournal.com has won multiple awards from various media organizations including Minnesota Newspaper Association, Midwest Free Community Publications, and Association of Community Publishers.
Visit Bluff Country Magazine
This premiere tourism magazine has been in existence for as long as the Fillmore County Journal. The publication was a newsprint publication, but has evolved to full color glossy from cover to cover. And, the distribution has expanded to 50,000 delivered to more than 1,000 locations in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin. SMG Web Design is also the think-tank, creative director, and administrator of www.visitbluffcountry.com.
Boots & Badges: Honoring Fillmore County Veterans
This was an idea that started with the hiring of Assistant Editor Ellen Whalen in September 2014. By November, we were in talks with a book publishing company. When Ellen joined our team, I quickly realized she was the right person to help us move forward with an idea I had been considering for quite some time. With the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery being constructed, I felt it would be the right time to honor our veterans, past and present. Ellen Whalen, Michelle Quanrud, Jana Boyum and myself worked diligently to make this book come to life. The book debuted in February 2016, presenting the sacrifices of more than 3,400 veterans from Fillmore County. For anyone seeking this commemorative hardcover book, please contact our office to claim your copy or visit www.fillmorecountyveterans.com.
Local Sports Coverage
One of the biggest changes we made in the newspaper over the past 16 years relates to local sports coverage. In 2010, Paul Trende and I met at a fantasy football draft. From that point forward, we connected and ideas became reality after we discussed the possibility of introducing a high school sports section in the Fillmore County Journal. Prior to Paul coming along, our newspaper had never had a regular sports section. This success belongs to Paul Trende, Lee Epps, and the team of photographers.
Perfect Glossy
In 2010, we began designing tourism publications for organizations like local chamber of commerce organizations. We expanded into brochures and business cards for local businesses. We have three full-time graphic designers on staff at our office in Preston, Minn. Having designers on staff makes all the difference in the world. People want to talk to a real person, which has always been an important cornerstone of our business.
Houston County
Starting in 2020, we added significant circulation to our newspaper distribution for the Houston County area. By September 2021, we opened an office in Caledonia, Minn., the county seat. Since this expansion, we have been delivering newspapers free of charge to all households in Houston, Caledonia, Spring Grove and Eitzen, providing coverage for nearly 65% of the county.
We are very fortunate to have Charlene Corson Selbee running our Caledonia office while also reporting on government and a variety of features for the newspaper. She works alongside reporters Wanda Hanson, Kaitlin Longhauser, Lee Epps and photographer Emma Geiwitz covering important news and events happening in the Houston County area.
Journal TV Network
In March 2023, with the help of our daughter Olivia, we launched the Journal TV Network with television locations in bars, restaurants, hardware stores, fitness centers, and even the DMV. With content updated weekly in conjunction with the newspaper, the TVs have been a big hit. And, businesses can advertise on 24 screens spanning Fillmore, Houston and Winneshiek counties. More information is available at www.journaltvnetwork.com.
SMG Merchant Services
Around August of 2023, we began offering credit card processing services to help businesses reduce the cost of merchant services. Over the past 12 months, we’ve saved local businesses more than $70,000 in credit card processing fees. More information is available at www.smgmerchantservices.com.
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