Australia's Prime Creative Media acquires ITS International and Global Highways
What's the deal? Prime Creative Media, an Australian B2B publisher, has acquired ITS International and its sister title Global Highways from Route One Publishing. The deal was made through Prime's international subsidiary, Prime Global Publishing, and announced on May 18.
ITS International covers intelligent transport systems, while Global Highways focuses on road infrastructure projects, technologies, and policy worldwide. Both brands bring established audiences in the global infrastructure sector.
Andrew Barriball, publisher of ITS International and managing director of Route One, joins Prime Global Publishing as chief operating officer — international. Key editorial and sales staff are also making the transition.
Why now? The deal builds on Prime Global Publishing's 2024 acquisition of Aggregates Business Europe and Aggregates Business International — also from Route One Publishing. It signals a deliberate strategy to consolidate specialist infrastructure media brands under one roof.
Prime Creative Media already publishes infrastructure-focused titles in its home market, giving it an existing foothold in the roads and construction space. Adding two internationally recognised transport and highways brands extends that reach globally.
The signal: B2B trade media continues to consolidate, with niche publishers snapping up specialist titles from smaller operators. For Prime, the play is clear: assemble a portfolio of high-value, tightly focused brands serving infrastructure and construction — sectors tied directly to government spending and economic growth.
"ITS International and Global Highways are highly respected brands with deep connections to their audiences," said Christine Clancy, chief executive officer of Prime Creative Media. "Bringing them into our portfolio strengthens our ability to serve the global infrastructure and transport sectors."
The deal also reflects a pattern where legacy trade publishers like Route One find more value in selling titles to well-capitalised acquirers than in scaling them independently. For Prime, each acquisition adds audience, advertising inventory, and events revenue across geographies it might otherwise struggle to enter organically.
Read more: itsinternational.com
