Harris Publishing acquires Great Lakes Boating
Great Lakes Boating magazine, a publication dedicated to serving the needs of the more than 5 million boaters on the Canadian and U.S. sides of the Great Lakes, has been sold to Harris Publishing Inc., which will take over all responsibilities beginning with the December issue.
Great Lakes Boating was started in 1982 by Ned Dikmen and his wife Karen, who have decided to pursue new adventures. Harris Publishing, which publishes more than a dozen national magazines, including Pontoon & Deck Boat magazine and Houseboat magazine, welcomes the third boating title to the publishing company, which was started in 1971 by Darryl Harris and today is still family-owned.
“Mr. Dikmen reached out to us because of the similarities between our companies, and he wanted to ensure the magazine he founded would continue to grow,” said Publisher Greg Larsen. “Plus with our other boating titles, especially PDB magazine, we’re already very familiar with this region after 20-plus years of experiencing and featuring the Great Lakes in our other publications.”
Larsen will be the new publisher of Great Lakes Boating, while Executive Editor Brady Kay and his staff will handle all editorial responsibilities including greatlakesboating.com and its social media sites.
“It has been gratifying to address the issues facing recreational boaters and sportsfishermen on the Great Lakes,” Dikmen said. “For more than three decades, Great Lakes Boating has been the leading source of information and education for the region’s boating community, and we know that Harris Publishing will continue our long-standing tradition.”
Dikmen plans to stay active in the boating community through the Great Lakes Boating Federation and its community website, which voices freshwater boaters’ concerns on the Great Lakes and in Washington and provides member discounts for boats, boating-related products and services.
“We’re looking forward to continuing the legacy of Great Lakes Boating magazine as well as the challenge to publish an informative and entertaining magazine centered on the lifestyle and opportunities that come with boating on the Great Lakes,” added Kay. “We want to build on the success of an established 30-year-old magazine and help it reach its full potential and continue to give boaters in the Great Lakes boating community a voice.”
