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What Our Customers Are Saying

I can’t say enough about the professional service we received from John Thomas Cribb and his firm.They took us by the hand and led us through the arduous and emotional process of selling our group of 13 community papers, sensitive to our needs and helping us over several technical and strategic bumps in the road. I would highly recommend Cribb and his company to any community publisher who is considering a sale.

John Sullivan

Former President, Yellowstone Newspapers, Livingston, Montana

The process of selling my newspapers took place over several months, but working with John Thomas Cribb of Cribb, Cope & Potts made the effort worthwhile. John made the process almost seamless. He was always available to answer questions or provide insight about the process. He possesses a lot of knowledge which helped us immensely. I would highly recommend John to anyone thinking of selling their publication.

Bob Perlberg

Former Co-Owner, Sunrise Printing & Publishing,

Selling a business that has been in our family for 4 generations, comes with many challenges and emotions. Working with John Thomas Cribb of Cribb, Cope & Potts was the best decision we made. John did an excellent job dealing with managing our expectations, handling the entire sale process and providing expert advice all along. We trusted John and he delivered. 

Joe Prial

Former Co-Owner, The Chief Leader, New York, New York

Insightful, accurate, and thoughtful. Our process took three years of discussions and Randy stayed with us during the upheavals of our industry and the pain of COVID-19. We found their desktop review of our operation equally valuable and accurate. When the time came, Randy found us six offers and his support, candor and guidance were invaluable to my brother and I as we weighed selling our 81-year-old family business.

Alan Mores

Former Co-Owner of the Harlan (IA) Tribune

Randy did marvelous work, helping us navigate through the negotiations, especially during the onslaught of the Covid-19. As businesses were shutting down, he was able to help the sale process moving forward. His calm approach helped limit our anxiety and bring us to a successful conclusion. I would recommend Randy to any owner going through this process.

Mike Donnelly

Former Publisher/Owner, Indiana (PA) Gazette

Thanks for all you did for us beginning in late 2018 to help us through the nuances and anxieties of selling our family’s business. Your knowledgeable guidance was immeasurable, and so was your calming nature. We made the right call when we chose the Cribbs to be our brokers. 

Sarah Wilson

Former Publisher/Owner, The Rochester Sentinel, Rochester, Indiana

We found CC&P to be a good fit for our family. We felt they genuinely cared and were sensitive to and respectful about how difficult the decision and process was for all of us. They are professional, experienced, knowledgeable, organized, and responsive. Thank you CC&P.

Maureen Wedge

President, Sun Media Group, Lewiston, ME

Selling a business that had been in our family for 133 years was an extremely difficult and emotional process. Jeff Potts and the Cribb, Greene & Cope team guided us down this road with great industry knowledge and professionalism, sensitive to the challenges of the family issues. They expertly prepared the documents to take us to market and guided us through the bid selection process. Jeff kept the process on pace but also understood when the family needed to call a short time out to make sure we were all of common mind. There was never any doubt that Jeff was working with great skill and effort to find the best outcome for us. I say with 100% conviction that Jeff Potts and Cribb, Cope & Potts were the right match to be our advocates through the sale process and highly recommend them if you find yourself in a similar situation.

Karl Heminger

former president and publisher, Findlay Publishing Company

Always available and a voice of reason, Randy helped me through the sale process beginning the day our owner made the decision that it was time to consider selling.  He connected us with the right potential buyers. The value of his guidance cannot be overstated.  We are so very pleased with the outcome.  I recommend Randy and his firm to any smaller-market newspaper owner.

Joyce McCollough

former President, NewsTribune, Lasalle, IL

I much appreciated John’s approach to the negotiation process in the sale of our business.  I never felt pressured by him to settle for anything less than I thought was fair.  During some difficult phases of the negotiation, John received several anxious, late night calls from me.  He calmed the waters and cut through the emotions that inevitably arise with the sale of a 140-year-old family business. Our family was rewarded with an excellent outcome which I attribute to Cribb Greene & Cope’s professionalism and industry insight.

Jeff Brown

President, Home News Enterprises

When my family and I made the difficult decision to sell the newspaper my grandfather had bought in 1942, I decided to try Randy Cope withCribb, Cope & Potts, because I had known him briefly many years ago. I’m happy I did. He was efficient without being pushy and was sensitive to how difficult this was for my elderly father. He found a buyer within a reasonable amount of time and then walked me through all the necessary steps. Any time I had questions he was available. Since I was doing this only once in my life, I had many questions, and depended on his expertise since he does this often. It was complicated for us since we were keeping one company within the corporation and selling the two newspapers. He handled it all and communicated what we wanted to do very easily with potential buyers. I would recommend Cribb, Cope & Potts to anyone wanting to sell a newspaper, without a doubt.

Weston Lewey

Owner, Times-Herald Publishing Company, Inc.

Brehm Communications’ leadership team had a very good experience with the Cribb, Greene and Cope team as we marketed and sold our Mississippi Valley Media Iowa Properties and our Tri state Media, Indiana, and Illinois properties.  They handled our transaction needs with the care, detail and trust that we needed to feel comfortable.   They did their homework to have accurate and attractive marketing materials before we approved putting our two groups on the market. And we also approved any potential buyer in advance. Nobody was contacted that we did not wish to contact. I believe we got the best possible value for these longtime family-owned properties. Both John Cribb and Randy Cope worked closely with us in the beginning,  with Randy helping us to negotiate a few details that helped our transactions to be completed in the time we expected.   In both cases, I believe our properties will be good fits for the buyers. Brehm Communications Inc. controller Jeff Johnson said that it was a pleasure working with Randy Cope on the financial details and marketing package.

Bill Brehm

Brehm Communications

Selling a family business is anything but easy.  It can be, as we found, an emotional, often gut-wrenching, process that must be done with as much intelligence and expertise as possible.  When it became clear that Jones Media was to be sold after 100 years of family ownership, there was no question about the broker we would turn to to assist us: Cribb, Cope & Potts.  The qualifications CC&P brought to the task included unimpeachable integrity, incomparable knowledge of the market and an unquestioned commitment to understand what we, the owners, wanted in every dimension (preservation of family legacy, treatment of employees, transition of employee benefits, sale price and terms, etc.) and to work hard to find the most suitable buyer possible.  Among other things, including an abundance of experience in transitioning family businesses from one owner to another, the broker would be required to have great sensitivity, patience and the ability to establish a high level of mutual trust in dealing within our family itself.  CC&P delivered in excellent fashion on all fronts.  My family and I are deeply grateful to have been represented by CC&P, have nothing but the highest praise for the professional, focused work they did for us, and have absolutely no reservations in recommending them as the best possible broker to anyone facing the difficult decision to sell.   In fact, if you find yourself in the same position I surprisingly found myself a year ago, please feel free to contact me to discuss this in more detail.

Gregg Jones

President, Jones Media Inc.

I am glad to testify to Gary Greene’s superb work on behalf of our whole family. When there was an anguished debate within the family as to whether to sell, Gary provided clear options, with the strengths and weaknesses of each path. When we elected to sell, he guided the process with wisdom, empathy and vast skill, finding us an excellent buyer and negotiating on our behalf to find the best possible terms. He is a man we revere and trust, an honest broker in every sense.

Alex S. Jones

Co-Owner, Jones Media Inc.

Cribb, Cope & Potts were invaluable in consulting my media firm on the sale to a group of investors in my market.  It was a very complicated deal and I could not have done it without their trust, experience, and competence.

Peter Arundel

President, Virginia News Group

Our family made the difficult decision to sell The Fayetteville Observer after 93 years and turned to Gary Greene to advise and lead us through the process. I’ve known Gary for years as a person of integrity with extensive contacts in our industry, and he and John Cribb are true professionals. I recommend them highly.

Charles Broadwell

President, Fayetteville Publishing Co.

When it came time to sell our Junction City, Kansas, Daily Union, Abilene Reflector-Chronicle, and Wamego Smoke-Signal, I thought ofCribb, Cope & Potts’ long association with smaller dailies.

After four generations of Montgomery’s in Junction City and my desire to retire I contacted Randy Cope. He handled everything In a very professional manner.I am glad we were able to sell to another fourth-generation  Kansas family—the White/Walkers of Emporia.

John G. Montgomery

Junction City (KS) Daily Union

John met with our family in January 2015 to discuss the market and recommend that we consider putting our newspapers up for sale sooner rather than later. John had represented us in the sale of our Worland, Wyoming property in 2014. He felt the timing was ideal for putting the rest of our holdings on the market, and he was right. Shortly after the family decided to move forward, John found a very interested prospective buyer and we began negotiations. On October 1 we sold our newspapers in Cheyenne, Laramie, Rawlins, and Rock Springs to APG Media. The McCrakens and our other partners were very happy that John found a buyer interested in all four properties. Our family’s ownership of the Cheyenne property went back almost 90 years, and we were also very pleased to sell to another family-owned newspaper company. We had a very loyal team of employees at each newspaper, and it was reassuring to me that APG wanted to keep most of our department heads and employees in place after the sale. John and his team did a great job for us.

Mike McCraken

President, Cheyenne Newspapers Inc.

Cribb, Cope & Potts was a solid broker for Dix, acting in a professional manner not only to us but to the buyer as well. They are well placed in the industry, respected, and confidential.

Chuck Dix

President, Dix Communications (Recent sale of Frankfort, KY daily)

When my brother and I decided to sell after 90 years of family ownership in Idaho Falls, people we trusted pointed us toward John Cribb as the go-to broker. He was everything we could have hoped for. We particularly appreciate his patience, encouragement, and even-handedness when bumps showed up along the way. He has about him an equilibrium which is reassuring and settling. John served us well.

Jerry Brady

Former Owner, Idaho Falls Post Register

We are very pleased to have found you and the resources of Cribb, Cope & Potts to lead us through this process over the past many months. You represented us honestly, transparently, and with sound and timely advice.

Jack Brady

Former Owner, Idaho Falls Post Register

We are very happy with our experience with Cribb, Cope & Potts. Gary’s knowledge of the industry and the market, as well his relationships in the industry, proved crucial to connecting us with acceptable buyers who both met our price range requirements and our desire to keep those newspapers and employees in good hands.

George Lynett Jr.

Publisher, Times-Tribune

Congrats gents – a true pleasure working the sale books and other necessities we needed for the successful sale of our Towanda and Shamokin properties to Sample Media Aug. 1, 2015. Your company is AAA-1 professional in my book.

Greg Zyla

Former President & Publisher, Towanda Printing Company

While making the decision to sell the company was difficult, selecting John Cribb with Cribb, Cope & Pottss as our broker was easy. When our family decided to sell Huckle Media we chose to engage John who we’ve known and respected for a long time. After talking with other family-owned companies and hearing about the great experiences they have had working with Cribb, Cope & Potts, we felt confident we were in good hands. John and his crew didn’t disappoint – they exceeded our expectations and performed with the highest level of integrity. We were delighted that John connected us with Adams Publishing Group, which purchased our company mid-year 2014.

Renee Huckle Mittelstaedt

President & Principal Owner, Huckle Publishing

My dependence on John Cribb during each phase of the negotiating process was crucial during the sale of my newspapers. When one is traveling in uncharted territory, it is important to have someone of his experience on the team to properly work on the details of such transactions.

Bill Jacobs

Former Owner, Brookhaven (MS) Daily Leader

I greatly appreciated Cribb, Cope & Potts’ help not only in soliciting potential buyers for our company, but also their expertise in evaluating the interest and financial wherewithal of those indicating an interest in our newspapers. Cribb, Cope & Potts made the process much easier and less painful than it would have been without their assistance.

David Jackson

Former Owner, Ludington (MI) Daily News

John Cribb and Gary Greene have served us and their clients well. They bring deep experience and important know-how to guiding seller and buyer through the sale process and to negotiations. While we work with multiple brokerage firms, Cribb, Cope & Potts stands tall with the best.

Jim Boone & Todd Carpenter

Former Owner & President, Boone Newspapers, Inc.

I’ve worked with John Cribb and Gary Greene for many years, and the company has been unfailingly professional while delivering results. I give Cribb, Cope & Potts the highest rating.

Dave Lord

Pioneer Communications

We have worked with John Cribb and his associates for many years, closing a number of newspaper acquisitions. John and his team are among a select group of highly qualified M&A professionals in the publishing space with an in-depth understanding of our industry. We appreciate their sensitivity and dedication to the interests of both buyers and sellers.

Larry Perrotto

Chairman, Community Media Group

I think you handled my business with care and the knowledge that came from many transactions. I would recommend your company to anyone looking into a sale. You brought several prospects to me that let me see who was out there and who was qualified to go further into a deal. Thanks.

Pat Cashman

Former Owner, Vicksburg (MS) Post

John’s deep understanding of the newspaper business made explaining our weekly group easy, his reputation brought numerous buyers to the table, his marketing skills enabled us to prepare a presentation document that really showed what the Dover Post organization was about and, lastly, his personal touch, taking the time to get to know the various members of the family (The Dover Post group was a 200 employee, 12 weekly newspaper organization started by the Flood family in 1975 and sold in 2008) that had a significant effect on making everything come together. It was like working with a friend, not a broker.

Jim Flood

Former Owner, Dover Post Group

Cribb, Cope & Potts was instrumental in helping my family decide what to do about selling our newspaper in West Virginia. They were patient in explaining the economic aspects of newspapers, industry terms like “EBITDA,” the current sales climate (a buyer’s market). They provided a clarity about these matters which we had lacked. Indefatigable in their efforts on our behalf, they appeared at a shareholders’ meeting with graphs and participated in countless telephone conferences and follow-up calls. In choosing a broker for our company, we had no doubt that Cribb, Cope & Potts stood head-and-shoulders above the competition, and we never changed our opinion.

William D. Highland

Clarksburg Exponent-Telegram

We were pleased to work with John Cribb of Cribb, Cope & Potts in the purchase of the Northern Wyoming Daily News in Worland Wyoming. As usual, John was very timely with any and all information requests and facilitated a smooth, professional sale. We have worked with Cribb, Cope & Potts on numerous occasions on both the buying and selling side and have been quite pleased with them. We would surely use them in the future if the stars align again. Thanks, John for a professional, rewarding transaction.

Gary Stevenson

Owner, Northern Wyoming Daily News

When my company decided to sell all of its newspaper assets we knew that we could count on Cribb, Cope & Potts to achieve our objectives. We’ve worked with John and Gary on several projects over the years on both the buy and sell sides and have great respect for their knowledge of the marketplace and commitment to their clients.

Andy Bickford

President, Independent Publications Inc.

I have worked with Cribb, Cope & Potts on a number of transactions and have always found them to be knowledgeable and honest. They set reasonable expectations for their clients and always come through.

Arne Hoel

10/13 Communications

I’ve had the opportunity to use John’s guidance and representation on both the selling and buying sides of a recent media transaction. His insights on transactions in the broader market and valuations relating to our market provided confidence that the sales price was fair and within reason for a sale of the size and market in which we were operating. On the buying side, John focused me on the most important elements I needed to reconcile in order to feel sure and secure about moving forward. His advice was sound and based on experience from a career’s worth of transactions. There’s no doubt he’s my first call when I need media brokerage advice in the future.

Kevin Olson

Owner/Publisher, Teton Media Works/Jackson Hole Daily

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