IOLA — JP Media LLC (formerly Jones Publishing, Inc.), Iola, Wis., was named as the recipient of the Small Business Association (SBA) 2017 Jeffrey Butland Small Family-Owned Business Award. SBA award winners were announced on March 16, 2017. The Jeffrey Butland Small Family-Owned Business Award recognizes small, family-owned businesses that have successfully passed from one generation to the next and have at least a 15-year track record.
Celebrating its 31st anniversary in 2017, Jones Publishing (now JP Media) currently has 23 employees. Leadership has moved to the second generation, with Joe and Maggie Jones’ daughter-in-law, Diana, serving as President.
Diana began her career as editor of Significant Living magazine (aka Today’s Christian Living magazine) in 2011. Over the next three years, she worked in advertising sales and as publisher of several titles. In May 2014 Diana began her position as Operations Manager — allowing her to utilize her greatest strength — managing the JP Media team. In December 2016 she was promoted to President.
“My goal is to help our employees succeed in their jobs by giving them the tools, training, and help that they need. We are always looking for ways to do what we do better,” shares Diana. Being a small company has provided Diana with some unique learning experiences that have allowed her to understand the business better than most people. “I have had the opportunity to be the bookkeeper and the IT department when employees have moved on. Being able to do other people’s jobs has afforded me to view our systems first hand, find the weaknesses and bring in efficiencies — ultimately strengthening the company.”
Diana has worked hard to give every employee a voice — taking the time to collaborate and listen to her teams, involving her downline management in business planning, development, and growth. As a parent of seven children, Diana strongly supports the importance of family by providing flexible scheduling so that employees don’t miss the Kodak moments in their lives and promotes a highly enjoyable, fun work environment.
Joe, Maggie, and Diana are so honored to receive this award. “When you are busy building and working all those years, you never think that someone might nominate you for an award of this nature,” shares Joe.
“We are in the best position we have ever been in to move forward as a company and I am so excited about where we are headed,” states Diana. “We have the perfect staff for what we need to do moving forward. None of this would be possible without them.”
Editor Stephanie Hintz nominated the company for this SBA state award because she says Diana’s expertise and her effective day-to-day operation of a busy publishing firm is a huge asset to the entire company. “Along with her undeniable dedication to the success of JP Media, Diana is an amazing person to work with,” says Hintz. “I regularly see the respect and value she affords our entire team, and I firmly believe that is the essence of a remarkable leader. She is truly the lifeblood of this organization.”
JP Media produces a variety of niche magazines. Their current titles include an aviation division: Cessna Owner Organization (Cessna Owner magazine) and Piper Owner Society (PIPERS Magazine). The collectibles division is comprised of DOLLS magazine and Teddy Bear and Friends. The business-to- business division holds Smart Retailer, Sunshine Artist, and Handmade Business magazines. A sister company, CrossLife LLC (owned by Jones Publishing) houses the inspirational division with two magazines (Today’s Christian Living and Today’s Pastor), as well as two member organizations (CAP Benefits Association and Homeschool Benefits Association). The company also provides contract graphic design and editing services for other magazines and book projects from organizations/people in the industries they serve.
The daily mission at JP Media is to deliver 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 Media team adds a unique contribution to the mission and continually strives to give nothing less than the highest quality in publishing.
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