Magazine to go national in '07

Local edition will continue; company gains Web sites, two other magazines

Business Leader Magazine, which has been publishing in the Triangle since 1989, is planning to begin publishing a national edition in 2007 under revamped ownership.

Dan Davies, the magazine's publisher, said he has wanted to go national for years but lacked the financial resources until now. "There is no national magazine that concentrates on [business] leadership," he said.

The new national edition will focus on the success stories of business executives from across the nation, rather than the Triangle focus of the local edition, which will continue to be published.

Eran Salu, the owner of Las Vegas-based Total Media Assets, which has several Web sites geared to small business owners, has bought a majority stake in Business Leader's parent company, now called Business Leader Holdings.

Davies remains publisher of Business Leader Magazine and The Park Guide Magazine. Davies said he remains a minority owner after selling a portion of his ownership stake. Davies' former partner, Martin Seligson, sold his entire stake to Salu. The company will remain headquartered in Raleigh. Salu, who is CEO, plans to move to the Triangle.

Business Leader Holdings also has acquired two national magazines, each with a circulation of about 40,000, aimed at people looking to start or buy a business: Opportunity World Magazine and Money 'N Profits Magazine. Total Media's Web sites -- TotalBusiness.com, small-business-forum.com, smallbusinessguides.com and bestinbusiness.com -- also have been folded into Business Leader Holdings.

"Our goal is to become the primary source of information for medium-sized and small-business owners," Davies said.

Business Leader Holdings, which has six full-time employees, expects to add another half-dozen employees over the next six months, Davies said. Business Leader Magazine has a circulation of 12,500.