D-R Media and Investments LLC, the Dunn-Rankin family publishing group, has bought Sun Publications of Florida, a group of four weeklies in central Florida, from Lakeway Publishers.
Publications in the transaction are the Sumter Shopper, The Clermont News Leader, Four Corners News Leader, and the Mount Dora Triangle News Leader. The sale also includes a commercial printing operation based in Polk County, Florida.
“We believe in the future of community newspapers,” said D-R Media founder David Dunn-Rankin. “Well-run local papers are growing and thriving. Lakeway newspapers are strong community-focused products located near our existing publications in central Florida. The newspapers in Mt. Dora and Clermont are a natural fit for our existing papers in Highlands and Polk counties.”
The four newspapers represent more than 100,000 households in Lake and Sumter counties.
“Serving the central Florida readers and advertisers during the past few years was rewarding and a pleasure,” said R. Jack Fishman, president of Lakeway Publishers. “Our staff has produced quality papers and we are very pleased that David Dunn-Rankin and family, with their experience and background, will be expanding their presence in central Florida. Community newspapers are a vital part of local communities and are very important to the citizens that live and work in them.”
The brokerage Cribb, Green and Cope represented Lakeway Publishers in the transaction. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
D-R Media and Investments was created in June when the Dunn-Rankin family sold Sun Coast Media Group to Adams Publishing Group. Dunn-Rankin chose to retain the newspapers in Highlands and Polk counties, as well as the Sun Events division.
