Rand McNally
Encyclopedia
Rand McNally is an American publisher of map
s, atlas
es, textbooks, and globe
s for travel, reference, commercial, and educational uses. It also provides online consumer street maps and directions, as well as commercial transportation routing software and mileage data. The company is headquartered in the Chicago suburb of Skokie, Illinois
with a distribution center in Richmond, Kentucky
.
In 1856, William Rand
opened a printing shop in Chicago and two years later hired a newly arrived Irish immigrant, Andrew McNally
, to work in his shop. The shop did big business with the forerunner of the Chicago Tribune
, and in 1859 Rand and McNally were hired to run the Tribune's entire printing operation. In 1868, the two men formally established Rand McNally & Co. and bought out the Tribune's printing business. The company initially focused on printing tickets and timetables for Chicago's booming railroad industry, and the following year supplemented that business by publishing complete railroad guides. In 1870, the company expanded into printing business directories and an illustrated newspaper, the People's Weekly. According to company lore, during the Great Chicago Fire
in 1871, Rand McNally quickly had two of the company's printing machines buried in a sandy beach of Lake Michigan
, and the company was up and running again only a few days later.
The very first Rand McNally map, created using a new cost-saving wax engraving method, appeared in the December 1872 edition of its Railroad Guide. Rand McNally became an incorporated business in 1873, with Rand as its president and McNally as vice president. The Business Atlas, containing maps and data pertinent to business planning, was first published in 1876. The atlas is still updated today, now titled the Commercial Atlas & Marketing Guide. The Trade Book department was established in 1877, publishing such titles as The Locust Plague in the United States. Rand McNally began publishing educational maps in 1880 with its first line of maps, globes, and geography textbooks, soon followed by a world atlas. The company began publishing general literature in 1884 with its first title, The Secret of Success, and the Textbook department was established in 1894 with The Rand McNally Primary School Geography. Also in 1894, the company opened an office in New York City headed by Caleb S. Hammond, who later started his own map company, C. S. Hammond & Co.
.
Rand McNally's first road map, the New Automobile Road Map of New York City & Vicinity, was published in 1904. In 1910, the company acquired the line of Photo-Auto Guides from G.S. Chapin, which provided photographs of routes and intersections with directions. Andrew McNally II (son of Frederick McNally) personally took photos on his honeymoon for the Chicago-to-Milwaukee edition. The company continued to expand its book publishing business, with best-selling children's books such as The Real Mother Goose
(1916) and Kon-Tiki
(1950).
Rand McNally was the first major map publisher to embrace a system of numbered highways. One of its cartographers
, John Brink, invented a system that was first published in 1917 on a map of Peoria, Illinois
. In addition to creating maps with numbered roads, Rand McNally also erected many of the actual roadside highway signs. This system was subsequently adopted by state and federal highway authorities. The oil industry quickly developed an interest in road maps, enticing Americans to explore and consume more gasoline. In 1920, Rand McNally began publishing road maps for the Gulf Oil
Company, to be freely distributed at its service stations. By 1930, Rand McNally had two major road map competitors, General Drafting
and Gousha
, the latter of which was founded by a former Rand McNally sales representative. The Rand McNally Auto Chum, later to become the ubiquitous Rand McNally Road Atlas, was first published in 1924. The first full-color edition was published in 1960. It became fully digitized in 1993.
Rand McNally moved its headquarters from Chicago to suburban Skokie, Illinois
in 1952. The company opened its Versailles, Kentucky
, book publishing plant in 1962 with 300000 square feet (27,870.9 m²) and 23 employees. In 1994, the plant was the first to implement a new Kodak computer-to-plate printing system. When the plant was sold in 1997, it was over 1000000 square feet (92,903 m²) and employed 1,255 people.
In 1961, because the company was not satisfied with the ability of existing map
projections to create intuitive depictions of the entire world, they commissioned Dr. Arthur H. Robinson
to develop what became known as the Robinson projection
, which became very popular and was used extensively for constructing map
s of the entire world. Rand McNally began creating maps digitally in 1982.
In 1989, Rand McNally donated its extensive collection of its maps to the Newberry Library
. Now in possession of Gousha's archives as well, Rand McNally donated that map archive to the Newberry in late 2002.
With a string of acquisitions and growth throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Rand McNally employed over 4,000 people in four business groups. The company had been majority-owned by the McNally family since 1899, but by 1997 the family had decided to divest its interest in the company.
" company, with stock held by very few parties and very thinly traded. When Rand retired in 1899, he sold his shares in the company to McNally and the other company officers. The McNally family was the majority owner for nearly 100 years, from 1899 until 1997, at which time the family decided to divest its majority stake. The company was sold piecemeal; in January 1997, the company announced it was selling its Book Services Group, which employed 1,700 people in Versailles, Kentucky
and Taunton, Massachusetts
, to World Color Press
for $155 million. In February 1997, the DocuSystems Group, which printed airline tickets and luggage tags at its Nashville
facility, was sold to Code Hennessy & Simmons
, a Chicago-based private equity firm. In April 1997, the Media Services Group, which employed 350 people with offices in Nashville, Tennessee
; Fremont, California
; Shannon
, Ireland; and the Asia-Pacific region, was sold to McQueen, a Scottish software company.
The sole remaining group, publishing, represented the core mapmaking business of the company. In November 1997, the McNally family completed its divestiture by selling its majority ownership to AEA Investors
for a reported $500 million. Much of the purchase price was leveraged, meaning the company took on significant debt hedging on future earnings. AEA intended to capitalize on Rand McNally's brand recognition by bringing digital mapping to the masses and attracting public investors during the dot-com boom. However, the company fell behind the technology curve of upstarts such as MapQuest
and fell further into debt. AEA's stake in the company was acquired by Leonard Green & Partners
through a prepackaged Chapter 11 restructuring deal on January 15, 2003. In December 2007, Patriarch Partners, which had previously been a minority owner, bought out Leonard Green and the remaining minority owners to become the sole owner of Rand McNally.
on West Adams Street was the world's first all-steel framed skyscraper.
By the 1950s its Chicago area workforce had grown to over 1,000 employees and larger facilities were needed. In 1952, a new 283008 sq ft (26,292 m²) building was opened in suburban Skokie
, bringing corporate offices, printing, and distribution operations under one roof. Over the ensuing decades, however, printing and distribution operations were relocated, eventually resulting in the underutilization of its aging Skokie building. It was sold in February 2008 to Ida Crown Jewish Academy
for $11 million, and the approximately 200 current employees relocated in January 2009 to an office building near Skokie's Old Orchard Mall.
Its Irvine, California
facilities from the acquisition of Thomas Bros. Maps in 1997 were closed in 2010.
Rand McNally sold its Canadian subsidiary, located in Markham, Ontario
, on June 30, 2008 to the newly formed Canadian Cartographics Corporation.
Map
A map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, regions, and themes....
s, atlas
Atlas
An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a map of Earth or a region of Earth, but there are atlases of the other planets in the Solar System. Atlases have traditionally been bound into book form, but today many atlases are in multimedia formats...
es, textbooks, and globe
Globe
A globe is a three-dimensional scale model of Earth or other spheroid celestial body such as a planet, star, or moon...
s for travel, reference, commercial, and educational uses. It also provides online consumer street maps and directions, as well as commercial transportation routing software and mileage data. The company is headquartered in the Chicago suburb of Skokie, Illinois
Skokie, Illinois
Skokie is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Its name comes from a Native American word for "fire". A Chicago suburb, for many years Skokie promoted itself as "The World's Largest Village". Its population, per the 2000 census, was 63,348...
with a distribution center in Richmond, Kentucky
Richmond, Kentucky
There were 10,795 households out of which 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.2% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.6% were non-families. Of all households, 34.7% were made up of individuals and 8.8% had...
.
Early history
William Rand (printer)
William H. Rand was born in Quincy, Massachusetts. As a young man, he was an apprentice at his brothers' print shop in Boston. He was enticed west in September, 1849, by the California Gold Rush. He settled in Los Angeles and co-founded the state's first newspaper, the Los Angeles Star...
opened a printing shop in Chicago and two years later hired a newly arrived Irish immigrant, Andrew McNally
Andrew McNally
Andrew McNally was born in Armagh, Northern Ireland, and immigrated to New York City in 1857. A printer by trade, he moved to Chicago in 1858 and got a job in a print shop owned by William Rand at a wage of $9 per week. Rand and McNally became business partners and incorporated Rand, McNally & Co...
, to work in his shop. The shop did big business with the forerunner of the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, and in 1859 Rand and McNally were hired to run the Tribune's entire printing operation. In 1868, the two men formally established Rand McNally & Co. and bought out the Tribune's printing business. The company initially focused on printing tickets and timetables for Chicago's booming railroad industry, and the following year supplemented that business by publishing complete railroad guides. In 1870, the company expanded into printing business directories and an illustrated newspaper, the People's Weekly. According to company lore, during the Great Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire
The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned from Sunday, October 8, to early Tuesday, October 10, 1871, killing hundreds and destroying about in Chicago, Illinois. Though the fire was one of the largest U.S...
in 1871, Rand McNally quickly had two of the company's printing machines buried in a sandy beach of Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
, and the company was up and running again only a few days later.
The very first Rand McNally map, created using a new cost-saving wax engraving method, appeared in the December 1872 edition of its Railroad Guide. Rand McNally became an incorporated business in 1873, with Rand as its president and McNally as vice president. The Business Atlas, containing maps and data pertinent to business planning, was first published in 1876. The atlas is still updated today, now titled the Commercial Atlas & Marketing Guide. The Trade Book department was established in 1877, publishing such titles as The Locust Plague in the United States. Rand McNally began publishing educational maps in 1880 with its first line of maps, globes, and geography textbooks, soon followed by a world atlas. The company began publishing general literature in 1884 with its first title, The Secret of Success, and the Textbook department was established in 1894 with The Rand McNally Primary School Geography. Also in 1894, the company opened an office in New York City headed by Caleb S. Hammond, who later started his own map company, C. S. Hammond & Co.
Hammond Map
Hammond Map or Hammond World Atlas Corporation is an American map company. It was formerly an operating subsidiary of The Langenscheidt Publishing Group, a major map publisher in the United States, but was sold to Universal Map, an affiliate of Kappa Publishing Group, in 2010.The company was...
.
Rand McNally's first road map, the New Automobile Road Map of New York City & Vicinity, was published in 1904. In 1910, the company acquired the line of Photo-Auto Guides from G.S. Chapin, which provided photographs of routes and intersections with directions. Andrew McNally II (son of Frederick McNally) personally took photos on his honeymoon for the Chicago-to-Milwaukee edition. The company continued to expand its book publishing business, with best-selling children's books such as The Real Mother Goose
Mother Goose
The familiar figure of Mother Goose is an imaginary author of a collection of fairy tales and nursery rhymes which are often published as Mother Goose Rhymes. As a character, she appears in one "nursery rhyme". A Christmas pantomime called Mother Goose is often performed in the United Kingdom...
(1916) and Kon-Tiki
Kon-Tiki
Kon-Tiki was the raft used by Norwegian explorer and writer Thor Heyerdahl in his 1947 expedition across the Pacific Ocean from South America to the Polynesian islands. It was named after the Inca sun god, Viracocha, for whom "Kon-Tiki" was said to be an old name...
(1950).
Cartography
Cartography is the study and practice of making maps. Combining science, aesthetics, and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality can be modeled in ways that communicate spatial information effectively.The fundamental problems of traditional cartography are to:*Set the map's...
, John Brink, invented a system that was first published in 1917 on a map of Peoria, Illinois
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
. In addition to creating maps with numbered roads, Rand McNally also erected many of the actual roadside highway signs. This system was subsequently adopted by state and federal highway authorities. The oil industry quickly developed an interest in road maps, enticing Americans to explore and consume more gasoline. In 1920, Rand McNally began publishing road maps for the Gulf Oil
Gulf Oil
Gulf Oil was a major global oil company from the 1900s to the 1980s. The eighth-largest American manufacturing company in 1941 and the ninth-largest in 1979, Gulf Oil was one of the so-called Seven Sisters oil companies...
Company, to be freely distributed at its service stations. By 1930, Rand McNally had two major road map competitors, General Drafting
General Drafting
General Drafting Corporation of Convent Station, New Jersey, founded by Otto G. Lindberg, was one of the "Big Three" road map publishers from 1930 to 1970, along with H.M. Gousha and Rand McNally...
and Gousha
Gousha
The H.M. Gousha Company was one of the "Big Three" major producers of road maps and atlases in the United States during the 25 years following World War II, making maps for free distribution by Oil Companies and auto clubs...
, the latter of which was founded by a former Rand McNally sales representative. The Rand McNally Auto Chum, later to become the ubiquitous Rand McNally Road Atlas, was first published in 1924. The first full-color edition was published in 1960. It became fully digitized in 1993.
Later history
The Goode's School Atlas, named for its first editor, Dr. J. Paul Goode, was published in 1923. It became a standard text for high school and college geography curricula. Later retitled Goode's World Atlas, it is now in its 22nd edition. The first Rand McNally Travel Store was opened in New York City in 1937. In the 1990s it was turned into a chain with 29 locations, but by 2005 all had been closed as a cost-saving measure.Rand McNally moved its headquarters from Chicago to suburban Skokie, Illinois
Skokie, Illinois
Skokie is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Its name comes from a Native American word for "fire". A Chicago suburb, for many years Skokie promoted itself as "The World's Largest Village". Its population, per the 2000 census, was 63,348...
in 1952. The company opened its Versailles, Kentucky
Versailles, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,511 people, 3,160 households, and 2,110 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,330 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 88.18% White, 8.67% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.35%...
, book publishing plant in 1962 with 300000 square feet (27,870.9 m²) and 23 employees. In 1994, the plant was the first to implement a new Kodak computer-to-plate printing system. When the plant was sold in 1997, it was over 1000000 square feet (92,903 m²) and employed 1,255 people.
In 1961, because the company was not satisfied with the ability of existing map
Map
A map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, regions, and themes....
projections to create intuitive depictions of the entire world, they commissioned Dr. Arthur H. Robinson
Arthur H. Robinson
Arthur H. Robinson was an American geographer and cartographer, who was professor in the Geography Department at the University of Wisconsin in Madison from 1947 until he retired in 1980...
to develop what became known as the Robinson projection
Robinson projection
The Robinson projection is a map projection of a world map, which shows the entire world at once. It was specifically created in an attempt to find a good compromise to the problem of readily showing the whole globe as a flat image....
, which became very popular and was used extensively for constructing map
Map
A map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, regions, and themes....
s of the entire world. Rand McNally began creating maps digitally in 1982.
In 1989, Rand McNally donated its extensive collection of its maps to the Newberry Library
Newberry Library
The Newberry Library is a privately endowed, independent research library for the humanities and social sciences in Chicago, Illinois. Although it is private, non-circulating library, the Newberry Library is free and open to the public...
. Now in possession of Gousha's archives as well, Rand McNally donated that map archive to the Newberry in late 2002.
With a string of acquisitions and growth throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Rand McNally employed over 4,000 people in four business groups. The company had been majority-owned by the McNally family since 1899, but by 1997 the family had decided to divest its interest in the company.
Ownership
Rand McNally has always been a privately held or "pink sheetPink Sheets
OTC Markets Group, Inc., informally known as "Pink Sheets", is a private company that provides services to the U.S. over-the-counter securities market including electronic quotations, trading, messaging, and information platforms. According to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, OTC...
" company, with stock held by very few parties and very thinly traded. When Rand retired in 1899, he sold his shares in the company to McNally and the other company officers. The McNally family was the majority owner for nearly 100 years, from 1899 until 1997, at which time the family decided to divest its majority stake. The company was sold piecemeal; in January 1997, the company announced it was selling its Book Services Group, which employed 1,700 people in Versailles, Kentucky
Versailles, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,511 people, 3,160 households, and 2,110 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,330 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 88.18% White, 8.67% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.35%...
and Taunton, Massachusetts
Taunton, Massachusetts
Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the seat of Bristol County and the hub of the Greater Taunton Area. The city is located south of Boston, east of Providence, north of Fall River and west of Plymouth. The City of Taunton is situated on the Taunton River...
, to World Color Press
Quebecor World
Quebecor World Inc. was a printing subsidiary of Quebecor Inc. based in Montreal, Quebec. It comprised a number of small and large print shops throughout the world. In 2010, Quebecor World was acquired by Wisconsin-based Quad/Graphics....
for $155 million. In February 1997, the DocuSystems Group, which printed airline tickets and luggage tags at its Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
facility, was sold to Code Hennessy & Simmons
Code Hennessy & Simmons
Code Hennessy & Simmons is a private equity investment firm focusing on leveraged buyout and growth capital transactions. The firm focuses on investments in middle market companies in four basic industries:* Business services* Consumer* Distribution...
, a Chicago-based private equity firm. In April 1997, the Media Services Group, which employed 350 people with offices in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
; Fremont, California
Fremont, California
Fremont is a city in Alameda County, California. It was incorporated on January 23, 1956, from the merger of five smaller communities: Centerville, Niles, Irvington, Mission San Jose, and Warm Springs...
; Shannon
Shannon
Shannon is a Gaelic unisex given name. Alternative spellings include Shannen, Shanon, Shannan, Seanan and Siannon. Some variants of the name are Shan, Shania, Shana, Shanna and Shane.- Origin and meaning :...
, Ireland; and the Asia-Pacific region, was sold to McQueen, a Scottish software company.
The sole remaining group, publishing, represented the core mapmaking business of the company. In November 1997, the McNally family completed its divestiture by selling its majority ownership to AEA Investors
AEA Investors
AEA Investors is one of the oldest private equity investment firm in the United States. The firm focuses on leveraged buyout, growth capital and mezzanine capital investments in manufacturing, service, distribution, specialty chemicals, consumer product and business services companies in the...
for a reported $500 million. Much of the purchase price was leveraged, meaning the company took on significant debt hedging on future earnings. AEA intended to capitalize on Rand McNally's brand recognition by bringing digital mapping to the masses and attracting public investors during the dot-com boom. However, the company fell behind the technology curve of upstarts such as MapQuest
MapQuest
MapQuest is an American free online web mapping service owned by AOL. The company was founded in 1967 as Cartographic Services, a division of R.R. Donnelley & Sons in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1969. When it became an independent company in 1994, it was...
and fell further into debt. AEA's stake in the company was acquired by Leonard Green & Partners
Leonard Green & Partners
Leonard Green & Partners is a private equity firm specializing in leveraged buyout transactions, particularly of middle market companies. As of 2010, the firm had with approximately $9 billion in assets under management....
through a prepackaged Chapter 11 restructuring deal on January 15, 2003. In December 2007, Patriarch Partners, which had previously been a minority owner, bought out Leonard Green and the remaining minority owners to become the sole owner of Rand McNally.
Facilities
Rand McNally had been headquartered in Chicago since its inception. Their 1890 headquartersRand McNally Building
The Rand McNally Building , in Chicago, was designed by Burnham and Root and was the world's first all-steel framed skyscraper.The building was located at 160-174 Adams Street and also fronted #105-#119 on the backside . It was erected in 1889 at a cost of $1 million...
on West Adams Street was the world's first all-steel framed skyscraper.
By the 1950s its Chicago area workforce had grown to over 1,000 employees and larger facilities were needed. In 1952, a new 283008 sq ft (26,292 m²) building was opened in suburban Skokie
Skokie, Illinois
Skokie is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Its name comes from a Native American word for "fire". A Chicago suburb, for many years Skokie promoted itself as "The World's Largest Village". Its population, per the 2000 census, was 63,348...
, bringing corporate offices, printing, and distribution operations under one roof. Over the ensuing decades, however, printing and distribution operations were relocated, eventually resulting in the underutilization of its aging Skokie building. It was sold in February 2008 to Ida Crown Jewish Academy
Ida Crown Jewish Academy
Ida Crown Jewish Academy is a Modern Orthodox Jewish high school in West Ridge, Chicago, Illinois,Ida Crown Jewish Academy is a Modern Orthodox Jewish high school in West Ridge, Chicago, Illinois,...
for $11 million, and the approximately 200 current employees relocated in January 2009 to an office building near Skokie's Old Orchard Mall.
Its Irvine, California
Irvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
facilities from the acquisition of Thomas Bros. Maps in 1997 were closed in 2010.
Rand McNally sold its Canadian subsidiary, located in Markham, Ontario
Markham, Ontario
Markham is a town in the Regional Municipality of York, located within the Greater Toronto Area of Southern Ontario, Canada. The population was 261,573 at the 2006 Canadian census...
, on June 30, 2008 to the newly formed Canadian Cartographics Corporation.
Presidents and CEOs
William Rand founded his print shop in 1856 and "Rand, McNally & Co." was formally established in 1868. The company was incorporated in 1873 with Rand as the first president and McNally vice-president. When Rand retired in 1899, Andrew McNally assumed the role of president until his death in 1904. Andrew's son, Frederick McNally, became president upon his father's death, just as the age of the automobile was beginning. When Frederick McNally died in 1907, his sister's husband, Harry Beach Clow, became president. Andrew McNally II took over in 1933. He and his heirs, Andrew McNally III and IV, successively served as president until 1993.- 1873–1899: William Rand
- 1899–1904: Andrew McNally
- 1904–1907: Frederick McNally (Andrew's son)
- 1907–1933: Harry Beach Clow (Andrew's son-in-law)
- 1933–1948: Andrew McNally II (Andrew's grandson)
- 1948–1974: Andrew McNally III (Andrew's great-grandson)
- 1974–1993: Andrew McNally IV (Andrew's great-great-grandson)
- 1993–1997: John S. Bakalar (former Rand McNally CFO)
- 1997–1999: Henry J. Feinberg (former head of Rand McNally Publishing Group)
- 1999–2000: Richard J. Davis (former executive at RR Donnelley and GeoSystems, forerunners of MapQuestMapQuestMapQuest is an American free online web mapping service owned by AOL. The company was founded in 1967 as Cartographic Services, a division of R.R. Donnelley & Sons in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1969. When it became an independent company in 1994, it was...
) - 2000–2001: Norman E. Wells, Jr. (former Rand McNally COO)
- 2001–2003: Michael Hehir (former head of McGraw-HillMcGraw-HillThe McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., is a publicly traded corporation headquartered in Rockefeller Center in New York City. Its primary areas of business are financial, education, publishing, broadcasting, and business services...
Ventures) - 2003–2008: Robert S. Apatoff (former head of AllstateAllstateThe Allstate Corporation is the second-largest personal lines insurer in the United States and the largest that is publicly held. The company also has personal lines insurance operations in Canada. Allstate was founded in 1931 as part of Sears, Roebuck and Co., and was spun off in 1993...
marketing) - 2008–2009: Andrzej Wrobel (Patriarch Partners IT Platform Managing Director)
- 2009 – present: Dave Muscatel
Acquisitions
Rand McNally has made many acquisitions over the years to consolidate the crowded map publishing industry or to extend its capabilities in new markets.- 1980 – Transportation Data Management (TDM) – Makers of transportation mileage and routing software that continues to be used for Rand's commercial trucking products.
- 1984 – Denoyer-Geppert – Assets of the school map and globe publisher were assimilated into Rand's education product line.
- 1988 – Champion Map – Rand continued to use its facilities in Daytona Beach, FloridaDaytona Beach, FloridaDaytona Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, USA. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city has a population of 64,211. Daytona Beach is a principal city of the Deltona – Daytona Beach – Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which the census bureau estimated had...
, until 2001. All Champion Map products had disappeared, but in 2007 Rand began using the brand on street maps for selected small markets.
- 1992 – Nicholstone Holdings – Subsidiary companies (Nicholstone Software Services, Nicholstone Looseleaf, and Nicholstone Bindery) were folded into Rand's Book Services Group, extending its printing and binding businesses and adding capabilities for manufacturing, packaging, and distributing computer software and documentation.
- 1993 – Allmaps Canada – Became a wholly owned subsidiary company, Rand McNally Canada, and was subsequently sold to Canadian Cartographics Corporation in 2008. Under contract from Rand McNally, CCC will continue to create Canadian products under the Rand McNally name and distribute U.S. products to the Canadian market.
- 1996 – GoushaGoushaThe H.M. Gousha Company was one of the "Big Three" major producers of road maps and atlases in the United States during the 25 years following World War II, making maps for free distribution by Oil Companies and auto clubs...
– One of Rand McNally's longtime rivals, its 82 employees unexpectedly found their Comfort, TexasComfort, TexasComfort is a census-designated place in Kendall County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,363 at the 2010 census. It is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, building locked up on the morning of April 18 with a note taped to the door stating that the company had been purchased by Rand McNally and all their jobs had been eliminated. Gousha's entire product line was discontinued.
- 1998 – Thomas Bros. Maps – The prominent Southern CaliforniaSouthern CaliforniaSouthern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
mapmaker best known for its ubiquitous Thomas GuideThomas GuideThomas Guide is the title of a series of paperback, spiral-bound atlases featuring detailed street maps of various large metropolitan areas in the United States, in the metro areas of Boise, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Oakland, Phoenix, Portland, Reno-Tahoe, Sacramento, San Francisco, Seattle, Tucson,...
. Rand McNally continues to brand its street guide products as "The Thomas Guide" in western U.S. markets.
- 1999 – King of the RoadKing of the Road Map ServiceKing of the Road Map Service was a map publishing and distribution company based out of Mill Creek, Washington. Library of Congress records for the company date back to 1982. It was acquired by Rand McNally in 1999...
– Regional map publisher and distributor based in the Pacific NorthwestPacific NorthwestThe Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
, which had a previous partnership with Thomas Bros. King of the Road titles are no longer available.
- 2004 – Perly's – Maker of street maps for Toronto, Ontario and the surrounding areas. Was sold off as part of Rand McNally Canada in 2008.
Cultural references
- The company has always been named "Rand McNally," but it has been jocularly referred to as "Rand and McNally," as in the opening to O. Henry'sO. HenryO. Henry was the pen name of the American writer William Sydney Porter . O. Henry's short stories are well known for their wit, wordplay, warm characterization and clever twist endings.-Early life:...
story, A Municipal Report: "...it is a rash one who will lay his finger on the mapMapA map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, regions, and themes....
and say: 'In this town there can be no romance—what could happen here?' Yes, it is a bold and a rash deed to challenge in one sentence history, romance, and Rand and McNally."
- In an episode of The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, Bart vs. AustraliaBart vs. Australia"Bart vs. Australia" is the sixteenth episode of the sixth season of The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 19, 1995. In the episode, Bart is indicted for fraud in Australia, and the family travels to the country so Bart can apologize...
, the Rand McNally logo on the globe was mistaken by BartBart SimpsonBartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
for a continent named Rand McNally; LisaLisa SimpsonLisa Marie Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She is the middle child of the Simpson family. Voiced by Yeardley Smith, Lisa first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Cartoonist Matt Groening...
mocks him saying "In fact, in Rand McNally, they wear hats on their feet and hamburgers eat people."
- In an episode of ALFALF (TV series)ALF is an American science fiction sitcom that originally aired on NBC from 1986 to 1990, created by Paul Fusco. The title character was Gordon Shumway, a friendly extraterrestrial nicknamed ALF , who crash lands in the garage of the suburban middle-class Tanner family.The series starred Max...
, Willie finds a mapMapA map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, regions, and themes....
in Alf's spaceship, entitled "Rand McNally Map to Space".
- In the Canadian children's television series Jacob Two-TwoJacob Two-Two (TV series)Jacob Two-Two is a Canadian animated TV series based on a trilogy of books written by Mordecai Richler that first aired on Canadian children's channel YTV and aired on the French Canadian VRAK.TV as Jacob Jacob and in Spanish on Telemundo as Jacobo Dos Dos. It was produced by Nelvana; before being...
, Morty recommends to his son Jacob (the titular character) an atlas made by Grand McPally, an obvious parody of Rand McNally.
- Bing CrosbyBing CrosbyHarry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
used to tell of a fishing spot so secret that Rand would not tell McNally.
- Jason MrazJason MrazJason Thomas Mraz , also known as Mr. AZ and Mr. Raz, is an American singer-songwriter. Mraz released his debut album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, which contained the hit single "The Remedy ", in 2002, but it was not until the release of his second album, "Mr. A-Z", in 2005, that Mraz achieved...
has a song titled "Dream Life Of Rand McNally" which can be heard on the album Live at Java Joe'sLive at Java Joe'sLive at Java Joe's is a live album by singer/songwriter Jason Mraz. It is his only pre-major label release still in print. It was made available to download on iTunes on March 11, 2008 under the title Jason Mraz: Live & Acoustic 2001....
as well as on fan traded audience recordings. It tells the story of a man who gets into trouble all over the world and draws maps to, "remember never to go back to that place again."
- One of the drummers for American punk rockPunk rockPunk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band The DilsThe DilsThe Dils were an American punk rock band of the late 1970s, originally from Carlsbad, California, and fronted by brothers Chip Kinman and Tony Kinman...
called himself Rand McNally.
- In the second episode of the second season of the Anime Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei Itoshiki Nozomu is reading a book titled "Rand McNally's Guide to Death".
Street Guide/Streetfinder Products
| Title | State Name | Edition Existed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akron | Ohio | 2008 | Existing |
| Akron & Canton | Ohio | 2007 | Defunct |
| Akron/Canton | Ohio | 2002–04 | Defunct |
| Alameda & Contra Costa Counties | California | 1990 | Defunct |
| Albuquerque & Santa Fe | New Mexico | 2003– | Existing |
| Albuquerque & Vicinity | New Mexico | 1993 | Defunct |
| Albuquerque, Santa Fe/Taos | New Mexico | 2000–01 | Defunct |
| Allentown & Bethlehem | Pennsylvania | 2009– | Existing |
| Anchorage | Alaska | 2009– | Existing |
| Atlanta | Georgia | 2003– | Existing |
| Atlanta & Vicinity | Georgia | 1992–96, 05- | Existing |
| Atlanta North | Georgia | 2006 | Defunct |
| Atlanta Regional | Georgia | 2000–03 | Defunct |
| Atlanta South | Georgia | 2006 | Defunct |
| Augusta | Georgia | 2004–07 | Existing |
| Austin | Texas | 1991, 97, 03- | Existing |
| Austin & Vicinity | Texas | 1994–95, 98–99 | Existing |
| Baton Rouge | Louisiana | 2006–09 | Defunct |
| Baton Rouge & Vicinity | Louisiana | 2003 | Defunct |
| Berks County | Pennsylvania | 2003–04 | Defunct |
| Birmingham | Alabama | 1991, 08 | Defunct |
| Birmingham & Jefferson County | Alabama | 2005 | Defunct |
| Boston | Massachusetts | 2000–02, 07 | Defunct |
| Boston, Eastern Massachusetts | Massachusetts | 2000–05 | Defunct |
| Boston & Eastern Massachusetts | Massachusetts | 2007 | Defunct |
| Boston & Vicinity | Massachusetts | 1991-00 | Defunct |
| Boston Metro | Massachusetts | 2010 | Proposed |
| Boulder/Longmont | Colorado | 2007–08 | Defunct |
| Brevard County | Florida | 1998-07 | Defunct |
| Broward County | Florida | 2004–09 | Defunct |
| Bucks & Montgomery Counties | Pennsylvania | 2005 | Defunct |
| Bucks County | Pennsylvania | 2003–04 | Defunct |
| Buffalo/Niagara | New York | 2006– | Existing |
| Buffalo/Niagara Frontier | New York | 2004 | Defunct |
| Buffalo & Rochester | New York | 2009 | Defunct |
| Buffalo & Vicinity | New York | 1993 | Defunct |
| Canton | Ohio | 2008 | Existing |
| Cape Cod | Massachusetts | 2003 | Defunct |
| Cape Cod & Southern Massachusetts | Massachusetts | 2000–02 | Defunct |
| Charlotte/Gastonia | North Carolina | 2002–09 | Defunct |
| Charlotte/Mecklenburg | North Carolina | 1997 | Defunct |
| Chattanooga | Tennessee | 2003–06 | Defunct |
| Chattanooga | Tennessee | 2001–02 | Defunct |
| Chicago & Cook County | Illinios | 1998– | Existing |
| Chicago 6-County | Illinios | −02 | Defunct |
| Chicago 7-County | Illinios | 2004– | Existing |
| Cincinnati | Ohio | 2004 | Defunct |
| Cleveland | Ohio | 2001–10 | Defunct |
| Cleveland & Vicinity | Ohio | 1991 | Defunct |
| Colorado Springs, Pueblo | Colorado | 2000– | Existing |
| Columbia | South Carolina | 1989 | Defunct |
| Columbus | Ohio | 2008 | Existing |
| Columbus & Vicinity | Ohio | 1998 | Existing |
| Corpus Christi | Texas | 2008 | Defunct |
| Dallas | Texas | 2006–09 | Defunct |
| Dallas & Vicinity | Texas | 1994 | Defunct |
| Dallas/Fort Worth | Texas | 2004 | Existing |
| Dallas, Fort Worth | Texas | 2006 | Defunct |
| Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex | Texas | 2007– | Existing |
| Dallas/Fort Worth & Vicinity | Texas | 1999-00 | Defunct |
| Dayton | Ohio | 2000–08 | Defunct |
| Daytona Beach | Florida | 2003–06 | Defunct |
| Denver | Colorado | 1998-03 | Defunct |
| Denver Metro | Colorado | 2005– | Existing |
| Denver Metro Area | Colorado | 1994 | Defunct |
| Denver Regional | Colorado | 2002–08 | Defunct |
| Denver Regional Area | Colorado | 2001 | Defunct |
| Detroit & Ann Arbor | Michigan | 2008 | Defunct |
| Detroit & Vicinity | Michigan | 1994 | Defunct |
| Detroit & Wayne County | Michigan | 2003–06 | Defunct |
| Detroit Metro | Michigan | 2004– | Existing |
| Detroit Tri-Counties | Michigan | 1998 | Defunct |
| Detroit Tri-County & Vicinity | Michigan | 2003 | Defunct |
| Dupage & Kane Counties | Illinios | 1991– | Existing |
| El Paso | Texas | 2004–10 | Defunct |
| Fairfield & Vicinity | Connecticut | 1994 | Defunct |
| Fairfield County | Connecticut | 2000–01 | Defunct |
| Fairfield, Litchfield & New Haven Counties | Connecticut | 2004 | Defunct |
| Fayetteville, Springdale & Rogers | Arkansas | 2008 | Defunct |
| Flagler & Volusia Counties | Florida | 2009– | Existing |
| Fort Wayne | Indiana | 2004–06 | Defunct |
| Fort Worth | Texas | 2004–09 | Defunct |
| Fort Worth & Tarrant County | Texas | 1993 | Defunct |
| Fort Worth & Vicinity | Texas | 1994 | Defunct |
| Grand Rapids | Michigan | 2008 | Defunct |
| Greater Cincinnati | Ohio | 2006– | Existing |
| Greater Charleston | South Carolina | 1999-08 | Defunct |
| Greater Hartford | Connecticut | 2007– | Existing |
| Greater Kansas City | Missouri | 2000–08 | Defunct |
| Greater Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | 2009– | Existing |
| Greater Richmond | Virginia | 2009 | Defunct |
| Greater Rochester | New York | 2006– | Existing |
| Greater St. Louis | Missouri | 2009– | Existing |
| Greenville and Spartanburg | South Carolina | 2008– | Existing |
| Hampton Roads | Virginia | 2006 | Defunct |
| Harrisburg, York & Lancaster | Pennsylvania | 2008– | Existing |
| Hartford | Connecticut | 1994, 07 | Defunct |
| Hartford, Middlesex & New Haven Counties | Connecticut | 2004– | Existing |
| Hartford County | Connecticut | 1999-04 | Defunct |
| Houston | Texas | 2006– | Existing |
| Houston & Vicinity | Texas | 1995–98 | Defunct |
| Houston/Galveston | Texas | 2003–05 | Defunct |
| Houston/Galveston & Vicinity | Texas | 2002 | Defunct |
| Hudson Valley | New York | 2009– | Existing |
| Hudson, Union, Essex, & Morris Counties | New Jersey | 1991 | Defunct |
| Huntsville | Alabama | 2006 | Defunct |
| Huntsville & Decatur | Alabama | 2009 | Defunct |
| Indianapolis | Indiana | 2003– | Existing |
| Jacksonville & Duval County | Florida | 1999-01, 05 | Defunct |
| Jacksonville, Duval County | Florida | 2003 | Defunct |
| Jacksonville & St. Augustine | Florida | 2007–10 | Defunct |
| Joliet, Aurora & Naperville | Illinios | 2008 | Defunct |
| Kansas City | Missouri | 2010– | Existing |
| Knoxville | Tennessee | 2005–08 | Defunct |
| Lake & McHenry Counties | Illinios | 1999– | Existing |
| Lake & Sumter Counties | Florida | 2007– | Existing |
| Las Vegas & Vicinity | Nevada | 1997 | Defunct |
| Lee & Collier Counties | Florida | 1999-07 | Defunct |
| Lehigh & Northampton Counties | Pennsylvania | 2003–05 | Defunct |
| Lexington and the Bluegrass Region | Kentucky | 2007 | Existing |
| Little Rock & Pulaski County | Arkansas | 2005 | Defunct |
| Little Rock & Vicinity | Arkansas | 1999-00 | Defunct |
| Long Island | New York | 2006–09 | Defunct |
| Los Angeles/Orange Counties | California | 1998 | Defunct |
| Los Angeles Metro & Orange County | California | 1991 | Defunct |
| Louisville & Vicinity | Kentucky | 2003 | Defunct |
| Louisville Metro | Kentucky | 2007 | Existing |
| Madison | Wisconsin | 2004–10 | Defunct |
| Manatee, Sarasota & Charlotte Counties | Florida | 2009 | Existing |
| Memphis | Tennessee | 1995-08 | Defunct |
| Miami & Vicinity | Florida | 1990 | Existing |
| Miami-Dade, Broward & Palm Beach Counties | Florida | 2003– | Existing |
| Miami-Dade County | Florida | 2004–09 | Defunct |
| Milwaukee | Wisconsin | 2003– | Existing |
| Milwaukee & Vicinity | Wisconsin | 2000-0? | Defunct |
| Milwaukee Metro | Wisconsin | 1991 | Defunct |
| Minneapolis/St. Paul & Vicinity | Minnesota | 1994 | Defunct |
| Mississippi Gulf Coast | Mississippi | 2007– | Existing |
| Mobile & Vicinity | Alabama | 2001 | Defunct |
| Montgomery County | Pennsylvania | 2003–04 | Defunct |
| Morris, Essex, Union & Hudson Counties | New Jersey | 2006 | Defunct |
| Nashville | Tennessee | 2000– | Existing |
| Nashville & Vicinity | Tennessee | 1997-9? | Defunct |
| New London | Connecticut | 2007– | Existing |
| New London, Tolland & Windham Counties | Connecticut | 2004– | Defunct |
| New Orleans | Louisiana | 2005– | Existing |
| New Orleans & Vicinity | Louisiana | 2004 | Defunct |
| New York City | New York | 1997 | Defunct |
| New York City, 5 Borough | New York | 1992, 07–09 | Defunct |
| New York City, 5 Boroughs | New York | 2003–05 | Defunct |
| Northeast Connecticut | Connecticut | 1999-00 | Defunct |
| Northern Colorado | Colorado | 2000–08 | Defunct |
| Northern Virginia | Virginia | 1990–92 | Defunct |
| Northwest Connecticut | Connecticut | 1995-00 | Defunct |
| O'ahu | Hawaii | 2005 | Defunct |
| O'ahu Island | Hawaii | 2002 | Defunct |
| Oakland & Macomb Counties | Michigan | 2003–08 | Defunct |
| Oklahoma City | Oklahoma | 2004–10 | Defunct |
| Omaha | Nebraska | 2005–08 | Defunct |
| Omaha & Council Bluffs | Nebraska | 2000–01 | Defunct |
| Orlando | Florida | 2004– | Existing |
| Orlando & Vicinity | Florida | 1994-00 | Defunct |
| Palm Beach County | Florida | 2000–09 | Defunct |
| Pasco County | Florida | 1988, 07- | Existing |
| Pensacola | Florida | 2003–10 | Defunct |
| Polk County | Florida | 2002–09 | Defunct |
| Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | 2003–05 | Defunct |
| Philadelphia 5-County | Pennsylvania | 2003– | Existing |
| Phoenix | Arizona | 1990 | Defunct |
| Pikes Peak Region | Colorado | 1991 | Defunct |
| Pinellas County | Florida | 1992 | Defunct |
| Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania | 1989, 06- | Existing |
| Pittsburgh & Alleghany County | Pennsylvania | 1998-05 | Defunct |
| Pittsburgh & Vicinity | Pennsylvania | 1993-9? | Defunct |
| Portland & Vicinity | Oregon | 1998 | Defunct |
| Raleigh/Durham | North Carolina | 2000–06 | Defunct |
| Raleigh/Wake County | North Carolina | 1998 | Defunct |
| Reading | Pennsylvania | 2009 | Existing |
| Rhode Island | Rhode Island | 2003– | Existing |
| Richmond & Vicinity | Virginia | 1990, 05 | Defunct |
| Rio Grande Valley | Texas | 2008– | Existing |
| Rochester & Vicinity | New York | 1997-03 | Defunct |
| Scranton & Wilkes-Barre | Pennsylvania | 2009– | Existing |
| St. Louis | Missouri | 1988, 04–08 | Defunct |
| St. Louis & Vicinity | Missouri | 2003 | Defunct |
| St. Petersburg | Florida | 2005– | Existing |
| Salt Lake City | Utah | 1994, 01–02, 06- | Existing |
| Salt Lake City & Vicinity | Utah | 1999-00, 03 | Defunct |
| San Antonio | Texas | 2002– | Existing |
| San Antonio & Vicinity | Texas | 1991–98 | Defunct |
| San Diego | California | 1994 | Defunct |
| San Franscisco & Vicinity | California | 1998–99 | Defunct |
| San Franscisco and Peninsula Cities | California | 1988 | Defunct |
| Santa Clara County | California | 1990 | Defunct |
| Sarasota/Bradenton | Florida | 2000–01 | Defunct |
| Savannah | Georgia | 2005 | Defunct |
| Savannah and Hilton Head Island | Georgia | 2008 | Defunct |
| Shreveport, Caddo Parish | Louisiana | 1999-00 | Defunct |
| Shreveport & Caddo Parish | Louisiana | 2005–08 | Defunct |
| South Bend/Elkhart, Michiana | Indiana | 2004–07 | Defunct |
| South Bend with Elkhart and Michiana | Indiana | 2010 | Defunct |
| Southeast Connecticut | Connecticut | 1999-00 | Defunct |
| Southern Massachusetts | Massachusetts | 2005–07 | Defunct |
| Southwest Connecticut | Connecticut | 2007– | Existing |
| Tacoma & Vicinity | Washington | 1998 | Defunct |
| Tallahassee | Florida | 1999-06 | Defunct |
| Tampa | Florida | 2005–07 | Defunct |
| Tampa, Hillsborough County | Florida | 2003–04 | Defunct |
| Tampa/St. Petersburg | Florida | 2002– | Existing |
| Texas Mid-Cities | Texas | 1991 | Defunct |
| Tidewater, Virginia Peninsula | Virginia | 2003 | Defunct |
| Toledo/Bowling Green | Ohio | 2000–05 | Defunct |
| Toledo & Lucas County | Ohio | 2008– | Existing |
| Tulsa | Oklahoma | 2008– | Existing |
| Tulsa & Vicinity | Oklahoma | 2005 | Defunct |
| West Texas | Texas | 2004 | Defunct |
| Westchester, Putnam Counties | New York | 2006– | Existing |
| Wichita | Kansas | 2005 | Existing |
| Wichita & Sedgewick County | Kansas | 2009 | Defunct |
| Wichita, Sedgewick & Harvey Counties | Kansas | 2000–01 | Defunct |
| Will & Kendall Counties | Illinios | 2004–07 | Defunct |
| Worcester, Central Massachusetts | Massachusetts | 2002 | Defunct |
| Worcester & Central Massachusetts | Massachusetts | 2009 | Defunct |
| Youngstown | Ohio | 2008 | Existing |
External links
- Rand McNally
- McNally Family Papers at the Newberry Library
- Rand McNally and Co. Records at Newberry LibraryNewberry LibraryThe Newberry Library is a privately endowed, independent research library for the humanities and social sciences in Chicago, Illinois. Although it is private, non-circulating library, the Newberry Library is free and open to the public...