World Publications, the company that publishes Fly Fishing in Salt Waters magazine, today announced that it has purchased UsedBoats.com, a prominent Web site in the online boat-selling classified market. The deal with St. Petersburg, Florida-based Nautical Solutions Marketing Inc. for UsedBoats.com also includes several other sites, among them NewBoats.com and Yachtbroker.com.
“UsedBoats.com is without a doubt one of the leading online resources for boat buyers and sellers,” says Terry Snow, CEO of World Publications, which publishes Marlin, _Sport Fishing _and other special-interest titles. “For years, World Publications has provided marketing services to companies in the marine industry through our own magazines and Web sites. UsedBoats.com represents an exciting way to enhance that.”
The UsedBoats.com Web site offers one of the world’s largest searchable databases with close to 100,000 searchable used boats ranging from a $7,500 18-foot runabout to a $4 million 115-foot luxury yacht. The site has the most user-friendly search application, with the latest industry first innovations online today. UsedBoats.com has experienced exponential growth over the past few years. Searches will exceed 3 million this month, with hits exceeding 10 million.
“We chose to partner with World Publications over other alternatives because of our shared visions and goals, their leading marine publications, radio and TV shows and tours, as well as their being very well capitalized. I truly believe that this merger will yield the highest results and benefits for the customers who have made our sites what they are today,” says Mark J. Horne, president of Nautical Solutions.
This acquisition is a bold new expansion for World Publications, which until now had focused solely on the companion Web sites of its stable of 15 magazines.
