May 7, 2004, Washington, DC Hanley Wood’s BUILDER magazine has been named one of the top 10 business-to-business media brands by B-to-B Magazine. “We are proud to be recognized as one of the Media Power 50,” says Warren Nesbitt, group publisher, Builder Group. “Both our readers and our advertisers know that BUILDER is the leading publication in the residential construction industry. Being recognized by our media peers is especially meaningful.” Nesbitt oversees BUILDER, BIG BUILDER, MULTIFAMILY EXECUTIVE, BUILDER HOUSE PLANS ANNUAL and two leading industry conferences: "Builder 100" and "Big Builder ‘04". Hanley Wood also publishes 18 other magazines for the residential and commercial market, as well as 14 shelter magazines and house plan titles.

BUILDER’s market strength is helped by the power of the Hanley Wood divisions, says Nesbitt. “BUILDER is backed by Exhibitions, Marketing and e-Media divisions—which enable us to put together packages for advertisers like few other publishers can,” he adds. As the leading publication in the home building market, BUILDER magazine has annually posted increases in advertising pages, jumping from 1,795 in 2002 to 1,988 last year. “Being named to the Media Power 50 is a testament to Hanley Wood’s leadership in the industry,” says Peter Goldstone, President, Hanley Wood Magazines Division.

“It’s a honor to be recognized along with such brands as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Google, ESPN’s ‘SportCenter', CNBC’s ‘Squawk Box’ and BusinessWeek," Goldstone added. B-to-B’s Media Power 50 is an annual ranking of the top B-to-B media venues. The list is compiled by B-to-B editors based on ad revenues, audience and interviews with top media buyers, advertisers and industry analysts. Hanley Wood, LLC is the premier business-to-business media network serving North America’s residential and commercial construction industries. Through four integrated operating divisions, Hanley Wood provides industry-leading advertising, marketing and news/information services. Hanley Wood Magazines (Washington, D.C.), publishes 22 award-winning residential and commercial construction titles, including BUILDER, REMODELING, CUSTOM HOME, CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION and RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECT. Founded in 1976, Hanley Wood is a $180 million company owned by VS&A Communications Partners III, LP, the private-equity affiliate of media industry merchant bank Veronis Suhler Stevenson.

About Veronis Suhler Stevenson
Veronis Suhler Stevenson is a leading independent merchant bank dedicated to the media, communications and information industries and has completed over 630 transactions since its inception in 1981. The firm has acted as a financial advisor across the full spectrum of media, communication and information segments and provides the following services: private equity, mezzanine investment and mergers & acquisitions advisory services. VS&A Communications Partners III, LP is the third private equity fund managed by Veronis Suhler Stevenson. Capitalized at over $1 billion, it is one of the largest private equity funds dedicated exclusively to investments in the media, communications and information industries. VSS Mezzanine Partners, L.P. provides mezzanine capital for the financing of acquisitions, management buyouts, going-private transactions, growth equity investments, and recapitalizations. The VSS Private Equity buyout funds have invested in 33 platform companies and 154 add-on acquisitions, across multiple media segments; the realized and unrealized enterprise value of these investments total approximately $7 billion.

Contacts:

Marketing Director
Veronis Suhler Stevenson

Vice President, Marketing
Hanley Wood Magazines

Stanton Crenshaw Communications