Rodale, Inc.

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Rodale, Inc.
Founded 1930
Founder J. I. Rodale
Country of origin United States
Headquarters location Emmaus, Pennsylvania
Publication types Magazines, Books
Official website www.rodaleinc.com
Men's Health magazine, published by Rodale since 1988
Runner's World magazine, published by Rodale since 1971

Rodale Inc. is an American publisher of health and wellness magazines, books, and digital properties.[1] Rodale is headquartered in Emmaus, Pennsylvania and also maintains a satellite office in New York City, on Third Avenue.

Rodale Inc. publishes some of the most well-known health and wellness lifestyle magazines, including Men's Health and Prevention. It is also one of the largest independent book publishers in the United States. The company has published a collection of bestsellers, including An Inconvenient Truth and Eat This, Not That.

History

J. I. Rodale founded Rodale Inc., in 1930. He was a partner with his brother Joseph in Rodale Manufacturing, manufacturer of electrical switches. Joseph moved Rodale Manufacturing to Emmaus, Pennsylvania to take advantage of favorable local taxes, while J. I. dabbled in publishing. In 1942, Rodale started Organic Farming and Gardening magazine. It taught people how to grow better food without using chemicals in the soil. Today, Organic Gardening is the most highly read gardening magazine in the world.[2] In 1950, Rodale introduced Prevention, a health magazine.

In 1971, J. I. Rodale died during a taping of The Dick Cavett Show, and his son, Robert D. Rodale (1930–1990), took over the company’s leadership. On September 20, 1990, Robert Rodale was killed in a car accident during a business trip in Russia. Today, a park in Upper Macungie Township, Pennsylvania, is named in his honor.

Following Robert Rodale's death, his wife, Ardath Harter Rodale (1928–2009), became chairman and chief executive officer of the company. In 2000, Steven Pleshette Murphy joined the company as president and chief operating officer, and was named president and CEO in 2002.[3] On June 18, 2007, Ardath Rodale stepped down as chairman, and her daughter, Maria, was named chairman. Ardath remained a member of the company’s board, and took over the new title of Chief Inspiration Officer. On September 1, 2009, Murphy stepped down as President and CEO. Maria Rodale, granddaughter of company founder J.I. Rodale and daughter of previous chairpersons Robert Rodale and Ardath Rodale, succeeded him as CEO.[4]

Products

Magazines

Selected books

Rodale.com

The site was officially launched on Earth Day, April 22, 2009[5] with the tagline “where health meets green." Rodale.com provides news and information to help readers improve their health while making a positive impact on the environment. The site includes daily news articles, videos, and in-depth topic pages. Rodale.com Editor-in-Chief and Rodale Chairman Maria Rodale authors the blog entitled Maria’s Farm Country Kitchen.

Rodale and The Biggest Loser

In 2005, Rodale partnered with Reveille, producer of the NBC television show The Biggest Loser. The partnership has produced:[6]

  • The Biggest Loser Complete Calorie Counter: The Quick and Easy Guide to Thousands of Foods from Grocery Stores and Popular Restaurants
  • The Biggest Loser Cookbook: More Than 125 Healthy, Delicious Recipes by Devin Alexander
  • The Biggest Loser Fitness Program: Fast, Safe, and Effective Workouts to Target and Tone Your Trouble Spots
  • The Biggest Loser Success Secrets: The Wisdom, Motivation, and Inspiration to Lose Weight—and Keep It Off!
  • The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook: Budget-Friendly Meals Your Whole Family Will Love by Devin Alexander
  • The Biggest Loser 30-Day Jump Start
  • The Biggest Loser Club launched October 2005 to coincide with the program's Season 2. It mixes rich media, blogs, videos, and articles with weekly polls, quizzes, and newsletters.[7]

Custom Content

Rodale Grow is the custom content agency division of Rodale Inc. providing content across all platforms and in all formats for a wide range of clients.

Philanthropy

  • BikeTown Africa: The Rodale Institute partnered with BikeTown Africa and has distributed 1,300 bicycles in the last three years, plus 200 to AIDS' workers in Botswana and other stricken African countries.[8]
  • Chez Panisse Foundation: The Rodale Institute is partners with the Chez Panisse Foundation in Berkeley, California.[9]
  • Community farmers' markets: Rodale supports local farmers and locally-grown organic crops through financial aid to offset operating costs of community farmers’ markets.[10]
  • New York Restoration Project: Projects include the Rodale Pleasant Park Community Garden in Harlem. Rodale Inc. CEO Maria Rodale is a NYRP board member.[11]
  • The Rodale Institute works worldwide to achieve a regenerative food system that improves environmental and human health.[12]
  • The Rose F. Kennedy Greenway: Rodale was a charter sponsor of the Rose F. Kennedy Greenway initiative from 2008–2010, providing cultural, sustainable, and diverse programming and developing a live and digital farmer’s market on the Greenway parcels.[13]
  • WaterWorks: Organic Gardening partnered with the American Community Gardening Association. They brought sustainable water supply and improvement funds to 35 community gardens in North America in 2007-2008.[14]

References

  1. ↑ "Global reach statistics for Rodale, Inc". Hcp.com. 2008-08-19. Retrieved 2014-01-16. 
  2. ↑ Yakima Herald Dec 2008
  3. ↑ January 09, 2005 (2005-01-09). "BusinessWeek May 2002". Businessweek.com. Retrieved 2014-01-16. 
  4. ↑ "Business Week July 2009". Mediaweek.com. 2014-01-10. Retrieved 2014-01-16. 
  5. ↑
  6. ↑ "Reuters Sep 2008". Reuters.com. 2008-09-08. Retrieved 2014-01-16. 
  7. ↑ "Biggest Loser Club". Diets in Review. Retrieved 2014-01-16. 
  8. ↑ Allbusiness - Biketown
  9. ↑ NewYork Times August 2006
  10. ↑ "Findarticles". Findarticles. Retrieved 2014-01-16. 
  11. ↑ "New York Restoration Project". Nyrp.org. Retrieved 2014-01-16. 
  12. ↑ "Greenworks: Rodale Institute". Greenworks.tv. Retrieved 2014-01-16. 
  13. ↑ "Reuters Sept 2008". Reuters.com. 2008-09-29. Retrieved 2014-01-16. 
  14. ↑ "Reuters June 2008". Reuters.com. 2008-06-02. Retrieved 2014-01-16. 

External links

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