Liberty Group Publishing Acquires Life Newspapers

Posted on December 19, 1998

Liberty Group Publishing has announced the acquisition of the Chicago area's largest family owned multi-weekly newspaper chain, Oak Brook-based Life Printing & Publishing Co., Inc. The 72-year-old newspaper group publishes 17 newspapers with a combined total of 130,000 circulation in 40 west and southwest Chicago suburbs. Larry Randa, Life's current vice president of operations, will become publisher and CEO for Life Newspapers.

"We are excited about the opportunity to add such a well run and well respected group of newspapers to our organization," said Kenneth L. Serota, president and CEO for Northbrook, Ill.-based Liberty. "The acquisition of LIFE Newspapers will bring our DuPage County and suburban Chicago circulation to almost 250,000."

"An important consideration in our acquisition was the opportunity to keep Larry Randa at the helm of LIFE Newspapers," Serota added. "He brings to our organization a unique expertise on the suburban market."

Randa has 29 years of experience in the journalism field, the last 24 with Life. The immediate past president of Suburban Newspapers of America and current president of SNA's Suburban Classified Network, he has won more than 50 local, regional and national awards for writing, photography and community service, including three coveted Peter Lisagor Awards from the Chicago Headline Club.