360 West, a group of lifestyle magazines founded in Fort Worth in 2009 by Publisher Jerry Scott and Editorial Director Meda Kessler, has a new owner.
Five Legged Stool LLC, a digital marketing and media company based in Little Rock, said Monday it acquired the “magazines and ancillary marketing products” of Scott Publishing LLC, 360 Wests holding company. In addition to the monthly 360 West, Scott Publishing’s products include the 76107, 76092, and 817 HOME magazines, events, digital marketing solutions, and custom publishing.
Five Legged Stool, through its Arkansas Business Publishing Group, said it produces more than 25 magazine titles each year. Niche products “reach audiences with interests in business news; weddings and society; higher education and workforce development; family and aging; and travel,” it said.
Titles include Next: A Guide to Life After High School, Arkansas Bride, Arkansas Caregiver Resource Guide, Arkansas Business, Greenhead: The Arkansas Duck Hunting Magazine, and Venture: A Guide for Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners. Five Legged also operates Flex 360, a custom digital marketing and website design agency.
Five Legged Stool, headed by CEO Mitch Bettis, who became sole owner in 2019, said it “will continue to produce Scott Publishing’s successful titles and introduce new, high-quality products, events and marketing campaigns into the market.”
“The talents of Mitch and his team will enhance and increase the rich content that our readers are accustomed to, and expand the number of offerings available to advertisers. I am confident that Five Legged Stool will be the perfect caretaker of our magazines and our employees,” Scott said in a release.
In a text message, in response to questions about the sale, Scott said he would have more information, possibly as early as later Tuesday. Kessler said in Facebook posts Tuesday that “we meet the new owner today.”
Scott “will stay long enough to help with the transition; he has elderly family in Nebraska that I hope he can spend more time with,” she said. Later in the post, she said, “I’m staying for at least a year, unless they look at my messy office and change their minds.”