History
Wide Area Classifieds first started off as Multi Community Group which came into existence in the 1970’s by president/founder Steve Reinhart and focused mainly on display and insert advertising. Steve also dabbled in the Radio and Television advertising arenas, but after several years he saw a growing market for a company whom could provide advertising in weekly newspapers across the Midwest. These were the Shoppers, now commonly referred to as “Total Market Coverage” (TMC) publications that were distributed to the masses and non-subscribers of the bigger daily publications.
Steve opted to switch gears from insert adverting and formed what is now called Ad Associates, Inc. which does business as Wide Area Classifieds. To start with, Steve developed newspaper networks that were made up of weekly publications in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and the Dakotas. As time went by and the demand increased he continued the development of newspaper networks across the USA to encompass all 50 states. He found that this filled a niche in the advertising world that many customers did, and still do take advantage of today. The networks we have generated are now referred to as “WACNET” networks, which not duplicated by anyone in the advertising industry.
Steve passed away in 2002 due to complications of brain cancer. His dream of Wide Area Classifieds lives on through his daughter Shannon. Today Shannon and her husband run what has grown into a family business. Steve was a well-liked and compassionate individual that was the epitome of the term “Minnesota nice.” Those same qualities have been carried forward to present day Wide Area Classifieds. We take great pride in providing advertisers with outstanding customer service and valuable products/services.
Our business is advertising; forming mutually beneficial customer relationships is our passion.
