Columbus Business First names new publisher

Nick Fortine, head of advertising at Columbus Business First, has been named market president and publisher of the news organization.

Editor Dominic Cappa writes, “Fortine succeeds Don DePerro, who left Business First this month after 20 years as its top officer to become CEO of the Columbus Chamber of Commerce. Fortine, a Youngstown native who moved to Central Ohio in 1994, becomes the fourth publisher in Business First’s nearly 32-year history.

“‘For over 30 years, Columbus Business First has been the community’s connector and source for breaking business news and industry research. I am honored to take on the role of market president and publisher of an organization with such a rich history in Columbus,’ he said in a prepared statement.

“Before joining Business First, Fortine was vice president of sales at eCycle LLC, a Hilliard electronics recycling business with a growth record that put it on theBusiness First Fast 50 and Inc. 5,000 lists of fast-growing privately held companies. Prior to his stint at eCycle, he was president of Custom Retail Group in Columbus, vice president of sales and client services at Manta Media Inc., and was a co-founder and partner at NuGrowth Solutions.”

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