----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Thinking of Rand McNally -
 
After they bought out Gousha, they have discontinued well over half of their
(Rand + Gousha) city street map titles.  At this point they are very hard
pressed to provide city street maps for all of the state capitals.  For
instance, the only two utah maps they sell now are the Utah road map and
Salt Lake City Metro map.  Their customer service became horrible, with
numerous bookkeeping errors, slow shipments, backorders, etc.  Plus their
attitude to small map retailers became "we are the greatest, we don't need
you little guys").  I find it interesting that in North Carolina we are
seeing many more gas stations (the bulk of map sales for Rand) carrying
Universal Maps instead of Rand McNally.
 
They have also raised nearly all prices from $2.25 to $2.95; a very healthy
percentage price increase.
 
One wonders what will happen now that they have been bought out by an
investment group.
 
Russell Guy
At 09:56 AM 9/5/97 EDT, you wrote:
>     The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that the Rand McNally company is being
>sold to AEA Investors Inc.  The McNally family will become minority
>shareholders in the company and will not be involved in the management of the
>firm.  The new president and CEO is Henry Feinberg.  He said no relocations
>or layoffs were planned.  The Sun Times article freely quoted from above can
>be seen at:    www.suntimes.com/output/business1/rand03.htm
>
>John Sutherland
>University of Georgia
><a href="/scripts/wa-UGA.exe?LOGON=A3%3D9709%26L%3DMAPS-L%26E%3D7BIT%26P%3D51149%26B%3D--%26T%3Dtext%252FplainTEXT%252FPLAIN%3B%2520charset%3DUS-ASCII%26pending%3D" target="_parent" >[log in to unmask]</a>
>
 
OMNI Resources
International Map Specialists
<a href="/scripts/wa-UGA.exe?LOGON=A3%3D9709%26L%3DMAPS-L%26E%3D7BIT%26P%3D51149%26B%3D--%26T%3Dtext%252FplainTEXT%252FPLAIN%3B%2520charset%3DUS-ASCII%26pending%3D" target="_parent" >[log in to unmask]</a>
http://www.omnimap.com/catalog