Rodale, Inc.

Rodale, Inc.
Company type	Private
Industry	Publishing
Predecessor	Rodale Manufacturing
Founded	January 1, 1930; 96 years ago in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, United States
Founder	J. I. Rodale
Defunct	2017
Fate	Acquired by Hearst Communications; trade publishing sold to Crown Publishing Group
Successor	Hearst Communications
Headquarters	Emmaus, United States
Area served	United States
Key people	J. I. Rodale (founder), Robert Rodale (former CEO), Ardath Harter Rodale (former CEO and chairman), Steven Pleshette Murphy (former CEO), Maria Rodale (former CEO)
Products	Magazines, books, digital content
Owner	Hearst Communications (since 2017)
Parent	Hearst Communications (since 2017)

Rodale, Inc. () was a U.S.-based publisher focusing on health and wellness content across magazines, books, and digital platforms. Its main office was located in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, with an additional branch in New York City. Established in 1930 by J. I. Rodale, the company became part of the media giant Hearst Communications in 2017.

Among Rodale's prominent publications were influential health magazines like Men's Health and Prevention. The company also produced bestselling titles such as An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore and David Zinczenko’s Eat This, Not That.

History

The origins of Rodale Inc. date back to 1930 when entrepreneur J. I. Rodale founded the business, initially collaborating with his brother Joseph in Rodale Manufacturing. The firm transitioned into publishing with the debut of Organic Farming and Gardening magazine in 1942, which championed organic farming practices and eventually became the leading publication in gardening worldwide. In 1950, the launch of Prevention marked an expansion into health-focused media.

Following the passing of J. I. Rodale in 1971, his son Robert Rodale (1930–1990) took over leadership, broadening the company’s influence until his tragic death in a car accident during a business trip to Russia in 1990.

Rodale Press played a pivotal role as a founding participant in the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) established in 1972, underscoring its commitment to organic and sustainable market segments.

After Robert's passing, his widow Ardath Harter Rodale (1928–2009) stepped into the roles of CEO and chairman. Steven Pleshette Murphy joined as president and COO in 2000 and advanced to CEO by 2002. Ardath relinquished her chairman position in 2007, succeeded by her daughter Maria Rodale, who assumed the CEO role in 2009 following Murphy’s exit. Maria represented the third generation of family leadership, maintaining a consistent strategic vision and fostering growth within the wellness publishing sector.

Sale to Hearst

In October 2017, Hearst Communications, headquartered in New York City, revealed plans to acquire Rodale's magazine and book operations, with the transaction anticipated to finalize after regulatory clearance in January. Rodale had initiated a comprehensive sale process by engaging financial adviser Allen & Co. to attract potential buyers. Hearst ultimately surpassed an offer from Meredith Corporation shortly after receiving bids.

Subsequent to the acquisition, Hearst divested Rodale’s trade publishing segment to Crown Publishing Group, part of Penguin Random House.

Imprints

Rodale introduced Modern Times in 2007 as an imprint dedicated to non-fiction works covering politics, current events, and biographies, managed by Leigh Haber from Hyperion. This imprint was discontinued a year later in 2008.

The children's imprint Rodale Kids launched in 2017 was absorbed into Random House Children's Books following the company's sale in 2018.

Magazines

Bicycling
The Bike Mag
Men's Health
Rodale's Organic Life
Prevention
Runner's World
Women's Health

Books

The South Beach Diet authored by Arthur Agatston (2003)
An Inconvenient Truth written by Al Gore (2006)
Kaboom! How One Man Built a Movement to Save Play by Darell Hammond (2011)
The Intellectual Devotional by David S. Kidder (2006)
Fantastic Voyage: Live Long Enough to Live Forever co-authored by Ray Kurzweil and Terry Grossman (2004)
New Rules: Polite Musings from a Timid Observer by Bill Maher (2005)
My Prison Without Bars penned by Pete Rose (2004)
Eat This, Not That! by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding (2007)
An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power by Al Gore (2017)

News website

Rodale News launched its online platform on April 22, 2009, coinciding with Earth Day, featuring the slogan "where health meets green," thereby broadening the company's digital footprint in the fields of health and environmental sustainability.

References