Rodale Takes a Bigger Bite of the Big Apple
The publisher of "The South Beach Diet" is gorging itself on New York City real estate, while denying speculation that it will soon abandon its cozy head office in Eastern Pennsylvania for a more prominent position in Manhattan.
A spokesperson for the family-owned, Emmaus-based publisher says it is committed to its roots, and is only increasing its office space to provide a contiguous workplace for its New York-based staff. Rodale's 300 New York employees are currently dispersed throughout several floors of the AIG SunAmerica building on Third Avenue.
But that hasn't deterred speculation that Rodale's decision to expand its office space is an indication that it will one day eschew its rural setting and move its headquarters to New York.
The spokesperson says the publisher needs a New York presence for its
sales, marketing and public relations personnel departments—the primary tenants based in New York. The company employs about 600 people at its Emmaus headquarters.
Rodale's magazine division publishes health and fitness titles such as Runner's World, Prevention, Men's Fitness and Organic Style. Organic Style is the only Rodale publication whose entire editorial staff is based in New York, the spokesperson says.
The publisher established a New York office in the late '80s and moved to its current location in the AIG SunAmerica building in 1994. Rodale's new lease with the Durst Corp., owner of the building, calls for 114,000 square feet with an option to expand another 96,000 square feet in 2007.
www.Rodale.com