Beautifully engraved Certificate from the Meredith Corporation issued in no later than 1987. This historic document was printed by the American Banknote Company and has an ornate border around it with a vignette of woman sitting next to a world globe while reading. This item has the printed signatures of the company's officers and is over 20 years old.
Certificate Vignette CORPORATE Meredith Corporation (NYSE:MDP) is one of America's leading media and marketing companies operating businesses centered on magazine and book publishing, television broadcasting, and interactive and integrated marketing. Headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, the company employs more than 2,800 people. Major offices also are located in New York City, Chicago, Detroit, San Francisco, Los Angeles and 12 television station locations. Meredith Corporation's official Web site, as well as a listing of all Meredith-related sites, is located at www.meredith.com. Meredith stock was first offered for public sale in 1946 and has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange since 1965. The company's fiscal year is July 1 through June 30. PUBLISHING Meredith publishes a variety of magazines focused on service journalism for the home and family market. Magazine brands include: Better Homes and Gardens Ladies' Home Journal Country Home Midwest Living Traditional Home MORE WOOD Family Money Successful Farming Renovation Style Golf for Women Country Gardens Hometown Cooking Creative Home American Patchwork & Quilting Garden Shed Decorating Garden, Deck & Landscape Do-It-Yourself Ideas Meredith also publishes more than 100 issues of Special Interest Publications (SIPs) on cooking, decorating, building and remodeling, crafting, and gardening. Many of the SIPs carry the Better Homes and Gardens brand name. Meredith Books publishes more than 300 home and family and special interest consumer books. One of the best known titles is the red-plaid Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book. BROADCASTING Meredith has been in broadcasting since 1948. Today, the company owns 12 television stations reaching nearly 10 percent of all television households: five CBS affiliates, one NBC affiliate and six FOX affiliates. The stations include: WGCL-TV (CBS) Atlanta, GA KPHO-TV (CBS) Phoenix, AZ WOFL-TV (FOX) Orlando, FL KPDX-TV (FOX) Portland, OR WFSB-TV (CBS) Hartford-New Haven, CT WSMV-TV (NBC) Nashville, TN KCTV (CBS) Kansas City, MO WHNS-TV (FOX) Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, SC - Asheville, NC KVVU-TV (FOX) Las Vegas, NV WNEM-TV (CBS) Flint-Saginaw, MI WOGX-TV (FOX) Ocala-Gainesville, FL KFXO-LP (FOX) Bend, OR Meredith is home of the Emmy-winning, syndicated weekly show Better Homes and Gardens Television. The program is broadcast on more than 160 stations across the country, reaching nearly 90 percent of all television households. INTERACTIVE & INTEGRATED MARKETING The Interactive and Integrated Marketing Group strategically aligns the high-growth areas of interactive media, integrated marketing, and database operations. In March 2000, the company announced initiatives to expand and accelerate Internet-related efforts on a company-wide basis. To move forward, Meredith committed up to $100 million for investments in Internet and e-commerce activities, investments in strategic alliances and partnerships, and continued development of the consumer database. The company's Interactive strategies include creating the premier home and family Web site through development of vertical portals around the core content areas of decorating, food, home improvement and remodeling. In addition, Meredith plans to further develop the existing Web sites for its 12 television stations into powerful local community portals. The company has taken important steps by creating alliances with HomePortfolio.com, ThirdAge Media, XSAg.com, Golf.com, and America Online, and the Microsoft Network. Meredith's Integrated Marketing business uses the company's extensive resources to create complete end-to-end marketing programs and custom publications for several of the country's most respected companies and brands. The current client list includes The Home Depot, Kraft Foods, Nestlé USA, Lutheran Brotherhood, and Iams Company among others. MEREDITH WEB SITES Meredith Corporation: http://www.meredith.com Better Homes and Gardens: http://www.bhg.com Ladies' Home Journal: http://www.lhj.com Country Home: http://www.countryhomemagazine.com Midwest Living: http://www.midwestliving.com Traditional Home: http://www.traditionalhome.com WOOD: http://www.woodmagazine.com MORE: http://www.thirdage.com/beauty Family Money: http://www.familymoney.com Successful Farming @griculture Online: http://www.agriculture.com Golf for Women: http://www.golfforwomen.com Hometown Cooking: http://www.hometowncook.com Garden Shed: http://www.gardenshed.bhg.com American Park Network: http://www.americanparknetwork.com Meredith Integrated Marketing: http://www.meredithim.com Meredith Books: http://www.bhgbooks.com Crafts Collection: http://bhg.com/crafts KCTV: http://www.kctv.com KFXO: http://www.kfxo.com KPDX: http://www.foxpdx.com KPHO: http://www.cbsfive.com KVVU: http://www.kvvutv.com WFSB: http://www.wfsb.com WHNS: http://www.whns.com WNEM: http://www.wnem.com WOFL: http://www.wofl.com WOGX: http://www.wogx.com WSMV: http://www.wsmv.com WGCL:http://www.wgcltv.com DATABASE MARKETING The Meredith database contains more than 60 million names and represents nearly 7 out of 10 home-owning American households. The database helps Meredith profit centers and clients efficiently create direct-mail programs and identify potential customers. OTHER MEREDITH RESOURCES BRAND LICENSING Meredith has licensed Wal-Mart, the nation's largest retailer, to use the Better Homes and Gardens name with various premium-quality garden products. In addition, GMAC has licensed the Better Homes and Gardens name for residential real estate firms. The Global Travel Group has licensed the Better Homes and Gardens name to use with travel packages. PRINT ADVANTAGE Meredith Print Advantage, part of the Production department, leverages Meredith's printing expertise to assist clients in efficiently printing their magazine inserts and other print products. TRAVEL PUBLICATIONS Meredith's travel expertise stems from our involvement with several travel publications. For instance, the company publishes California Tourism Publications, which includes California's annual visitor's guide. Additionally, Midwest Living magazine publishes several guides entitled "Travel Ideas" for states in the Midwest. Meredith also publishes American Park Network, a collection of 21 digest-sized park visitor guides that are distributed in the nation's parks. DIRECT-RESPONSE MARKETING This department sells advertising designed to generate a response in the form of an order or a request for a catalog and/or further information. The Direct Response Marketing department works with clients for individual magazines as well as on group proposals to maximize advertising programs. PUBLISHING GROUP SALES Group Sales works with clients seeking to advertise in a combination of Meredith publications. The staff works with individual magazines to develop advertising packages that include several titles. MEREDITH HISTORY Meredith was founded in Des Moines by Edwin Thomas Meredith in 1902. The company began as the publisher of Successful Farming magazine. In July 1922, Meredith began publishing Fruit, Garden and Home, a home and family service magazine. The magazine's name was changed to Better Homes and Gardens in August 1924. Meredith entered television broadcasting in 1948. It all started on the wedding day of Meredith's founder, Edwin Thomas Meredith. His grandfather's nuptial gift was a fistful of $20 gold pieces that bought the controlling interest in his grandfather's newspaper, Farmer's Tribune. A note that said, "Sink or swim" was attached to the debt-laden balance sheet. It's clear today that E.T. chose to swim. He turned around the fortune of the paper and sold it for a profit. With the proceeds, he decided to publish a journal that met his vision of what a helpful farm publication should be: a service magazine. In October 1902, the first issue of Successful Farming magazine was sold to 500 subscribers. By 1914, circulation was over the half-million mark. In 1912, the 200-employee company moved into the core of the corporate headquarters building at 1716 Locust Street in Des Moines. Since then, seven additions have been made to the building, including a $40 million campus addition completed in 1998. E.T. Meredith carved a niche for himself in both the publishing and civic arenas. He helped establish the 4-H Club and served on Woodrow Wilson's cabinet as Secretary of Agriculture. Early in 1928, he was considered as a Democratic nominee for president. Sadly, the publisher's health began to fail, and he died that year at age 51. His legacy continued, for E.T. Meredith's company became the well-respected corporation it is today. Meredith History Timeline -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1902 Company founded with Successful Farmingmagazine. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1922 Meredith began publishing Fruit, Garden and Home magazine, a home and family service publication. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1924 Changed name of Fruit, Garden and Home to Better Homes and Gardens magazine. (A three-person staff produced the first Better Homes and Gardens magazine. The first issue cost a dime on the newsstand, and a one-year subscription cost 35 cents.) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1930 Published first edition of the Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book. (Better Homes and Gardens magazine subscribers received complimentary copies.) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1937 Began publishing Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publications (SIP) with the introduction of Building Ideas. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1946 Meredith first offered stock to the public. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1948 Began our television broadcasting business with the purchase of WHEN-TV in Syracuse, N.Y. Go to the Top of this page -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1952 Purchased KPHO-TV, Phoenix. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1953 Bought KCTV-TV, Kansas City. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1957 Started a commercial printing business. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1965 First listed on the New York Stock Exchange as MDP. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1969 Formed Meredith/Burda printing partnership with the Burda family from West Germany. Eventually, Meredith/Burda operated printing plants in Iowa, Virginia, North Carolina and Arizona. Purchased WNEM-TV, Saginaw, Mich. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1978 Launched the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Service, with first member firms in Iowa and Tennessee. Through a joint venture, began publication of the Australian edition of Better Homes and Gardens magazine. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1983 Purchased WOFL-TV, Orlando, and KSEE-TV, Fresno. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1984 Country Home magazine became a subscription magazine (formerly an SIP). Launched WOOD magazine. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1985 Acquired KVVU-TV, Las Vegas, Nev. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1986 Purchased Ladies' Home Journal magazine. Go to the Top of this page -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1987 Introduced Midwest Living magazine. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1988 WOOD magazine spun off Weekend Woodworking Projects magazine. Acquired Craftways Corporation, publisher of Cross Stitch & Country Crafts magazine. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1989 Launched Country America magazine. Traditional Home magazine evolved from an SIP to a bimonthly magazine. Acquired Golf for Women magazine. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1990 Sold our 50 percent interest in the printing business to R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company of Chicago. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1991 Acquired American Park Network. WOOD magazine spun off Decorative Woodcrafts magazine. Sold our fulfillment business to Neodata Services, of Boulder, Colo. Formed Meredith Cable, Inc. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1992 Launched Country Home Country Gardens magazine. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1993 Introduced Better Homes and Gardens American Patchwork & Quilting magazine. Sold two TV stations, KSEE-TV and WTVH-TV (formerly WHEN), to Granite Broadcasting Corp. Floodwaters closed downtown Des Moines offices for two weeks in July. Go to the Top of this page -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1994 Launched Crayola Kids and Floral & Nature Crafts magazines. Opened Better Homes and Gardens Garden Centers in Wal-Mart stores. KPHO-TV and WNEM-TV became CBS affiliates. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1995 Acquired WSMV-TV, an NBC affiliate in Nashville. Listed cable as a discontinued operation. Agreed to sell book clubs to Book-of-the-Month Club, a division of Time Inc. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1996 Purchased WOGX-TV, a Fox affiliate in Ocala, Florida. Ground broken on headquarters expansion (1615 Locust) Minneapolis/St. Paul Cable area system is sold, completing exit from the cable business. Ladies' Home Journal Most Fascinating Women airs on CBS. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1997 Aquired KPDX-TV, Portland, Ore; KFXO-TV, Bend, Ore; WHNS-TV, Greenville, S.C.; and WCPX-TV, Orlando. WCPX-TV swapped for WFSB-TV in Hartford/New Haven, Connecticut. Better Homes and Gardens Television debuts to more than 90 percent of U.S. television households. Launched Family Money Magazine. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1998 William T. Kerr assumes position of company chairman, while retaining his duties as Chief Executive Officer. Completed 1615 Locust Building, a multi-million-dollar addition to the Des Moines headquarters bulding that includes Better Homes and Gardens Test Gardens. Launched more magazine. Sold Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Service to GMAC Home Services, Inc. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1999 Acquired WGNX-TV (CBS Atlanta) from the Tribune Company. Launched Shop Online 1-2-3, an Internet shopping guide and Web site. Launched Better Homes and Gardens Vacations in cooperation with the Global Vacations Group. Entered into multi-level content alliance with America Online.