Petersen Companies, Inc., The
Ticker:PTN 6420 Wilshire Boulevard
Exchange:New York Stock Exchange Los Angeles, CA 90048
Industry:Manufacturing (SIC Code 2721) (213) 782-2000
# of Employees:600

Offering Information
Type of Shares:Class A Common Shares Filing Date:8/7/97
U.S. Shares:7,000,000 Offer Date:10/1/97
Non-U.S. Shares:0 Filing Range:$15.00 - $17.00
Primary Shares:7,000,000 Offer Price:$17.50
Secondary Shares:0 Gross Spread:$1.18
Offering Amount: $112,000,000 Selling:$0.72
Expenses: - Reallowance:$0.10
Shares Out After: -

Primary Underwriting Group
ManagerTierPhone
Morgan Stanley Dean Witter Discover & Co.Lead Manager (212) 761-5900
Alex. Brown & Sons IncorporatedCo-manager (410) 895-2700
Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities Corp.Co-manager (212) 371-0641
Goldman, Sachs & Co.Co-manager (212) 902-5959

Legal Counsel, Auditor and Registrar
Issuer's Law Firm: Kirkland & Ellis
Bank's Law Firm: O'Melveny & Meyers
Auditor: Ernst & Young
Registrar/Transfer Agent: BankBoston

Selected Financial Data

Dollar amounts in U.S. millions except for per share data
Full Year
Audited
Income
Latest
Unaudited
Income
Prior
Unaudited
Income
Balance
Sheet
6/30/97 6/30/97
Revenue:$120.14Assets:$503.59
Net Income:-$4.93Curr Assets:
EPS:Liabilities:$353.11
Prior EPS:Curr Liabilities:
Cash Flow/Oper:Equity:$150.48
Cash Flow/Fin:Cash:$6.92
Cash Flow/Inv:

Business Description
The company is a leading publisher of specialty interest magazines with a diverse portfolio of 78 publications, including 25 monthly, 11 bimonthly and 42 single issue or annual publications. According to Veronis, Suhler and Associates ("VSA"), special-interest magazine publishing is the fastest growing sector of the consumer magazine industry. The special-interest nature of the Company's magazines creates an opportunity for its advertisers to efficiently reach their target audience, as the Company's enthusiast readers value special-interest magazines for both their product information as well as editorial content. The Company's internationally-recognized magazines include: (i) Motor Trend, which is a leading authority on new domestic and foreign automobiles and, with its increase in rate base (expected paid circulation on which advertising rates are based) to 1.15 million effective January 1998, is anticipated to be the world's leading automotive magazine in terms of paid circulation; (ii) Teen, which has the largest paid circulation of any of the Company's magazines with paid circulation of more than 1.8 million as of the June 1997 issue; and (iii) Hot Rod, which is one of the largest paid circulation automotive magazines in the world with a paid circulation of over 800,000 as of the June 1997 issue. The Company's other core publications are Petersen's 4 Wheel & Off-Road, Guns and Ammo, Skin Diver, Sport, Car Craft, Petersen's Hunting, Motorcyclist, Circle Track and Racing Technology, Petersen's Photographic, Sport Truck, Dirt Rider and Chevy High Performance. The Company's 15 core magazines average over 30 years in publication.

Competition
The magazine publishing business is highly competitive. The Company principally competes for advertising and circulation revenues with publishers of other special-interest consumer magazines with similar editorial content as those published by the Company. Such competitors include: K-III Communications Company, which publishes Seventeen, Automobile and Truckin'; Hachette Filipacchi Magazines, Inc., which publishes Road and Track, Car & Driver, Popular Photography and Cycle World; Gruner + Jahr Publishing, which publishes YM; Rodale Press Inc., which publishes Bicycling and Rodale's Scuba Diving and The Times Mirror Company, which publishes Outdoor Life and Field & Stream. Certain of the Company's competitors are larger and have greater financial resources than the Company. Most of the Company's magazines face competition within each of their respective markets from one to three other publications. The Company believes that it competes with other special-interest publications based on the nature and quality of its magazines' editorial content. Of the Company's 15 core magazines, nine are ranked first in their respective markets based on annual circulation in 1996, including two magazines that were the only national magazines published in their respective markets. In addition to other special-interest magazines, the Company also competes for advertising revenues with general-interest magazines and other forms of media, including broadcast and cable television, radio, newspaper, direct marketing and electronic media. In competing with general-interest magazines and other forms of media, the Company relies on its ability to reach a targeted segment of the population in a cost-effective manner.

Business Plan
The company's business and operating strategy is designed to provide strong revenue growth and increase profitability by improving the performance of existing titles, launching and acquiring additional publications and developing ancillary revenue streams by capitalizing on its internationally-recognized brands and efficient operations. The key elements of this strategy include: (I) Cross-Sell Advertising and Expand Advertiser Base, (ii) Increase Direct Subscription Sales and Magazine Prices, (iii) Develop Ancillary Revenue Opportunities, (iv) Develop and Launch New Titles, (v) Selectively Acquire Titles, (vi) Develop Business-to-Business Opportunities and (vii) Continue to Identify Operating Improvements.

Use of Proceeds
The proceeds from the proposed offering will be used to repay certain outstanding indebtedness under the company's senior credit facility, to redeem a portion of the Preferred Units and to redeem a portion of the senior subordinated notes issued by the company's operating subsidiary.

Principal and Selling Shareholders
Name of Shareholder% Owned
Before
% Owned
After
John R. Willis46.20%
Daniel H. Blumenthal46.20%
Avy H. Stein46.20%
Note: Represents ownership of 5% or more prior to the offering.
Executive Officers and Directors
Officer NameTitleAge
James D. Dunning, Jr.Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer50
Richard S. WillisExecutive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Director36
James GuthrieExecutive Vice President, Marketing and Sales56
John DiannaPresident, Automotive Performance Group54
Neal VitalePresident, Chief Operating Officer and Director43
Lee KelleyPresident, Motor Trend Group55
Justin McCormackPresident, Petersen Enterprises37
Charlotte Anne PerkinsPresident, Sport Group42
Amy P. WilkinsPresident, Youth Group34
Laurence H. BlochVice Chairman of the Board43
D. Claeys BahrenburgVice Chairman of the Board and Chairman of the Executive Committee50
Michael BorchettaVice President, Circulation32
Richard P. LagueVice President, Executive Publisher, Motorcycle/Bicycle Group53
Ken ElliottVice President, Executive Publisher, Outdoor Group57
Paul J. TzimoulisVice President, Executive Publisher, Photo/Marine Group60

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