GM Strategic

GMStrategic is a custom publishing, advertising and business development specialist group created and directed by Mr. George M. Mihaiu of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Mr. Mihaiu (pronounced Me-high) and colleagues specialize in matching the communications and custom publishing needs of professional, civic and trade associations with the marketing, advertising and promotional needs of constituent businesses through custom-designed, highly-targeted print publications and online communications programs.

Mr. Mihaiu (pronounced Me-high) began his career in the custom publishing industry in 1993 as co-founder of Compass North America, Inc., and was selected by the American Association of Port Authorities to revamp and rebuild AAPA's annual publication program. As publisher, he re-branded the annual guide as 'SEAPORTS OF THE AMERICAS' and subsequently directed the program to tenfold growth over an 11-year period, repositioning and redesigning it from a 40-page, in-house b/w membership directory into today's prestigious 'SEAPORTS OF THE AMERICAS' directory (250+ pages, full-color), now recognized as the authoritative and comprehensive annual guide to the entire western hemisphere port industry.

In addition to rebuilding the annual publication, he designed, created and introduced a quarterly editorial companion magazine, 'AAPA SEAPORTS MAGAZINE', that quickly became the premier industry magazine and 'voice' of the AAPA and its membership. The 'SEAPORTS' publications now generate significant royalty revenue to AAPA and are recognized as the leading port industry resources in the western hemisphere, reaching virtually the entire port and maritime world in print and online.

Shortly after being selected as AAPA's publisher in 1993, Mr. Mihaiu was also selected by the Port of Los Angeles to become publisher of its flagship publication, THE PORT OF LOS ANGELES SHIPPING HANDBOOK, distributed worldwide as the port's annual marketing and public relations guide to the facilities, services and capabilities of the Port of Los Angeles. With the continuing growth and success of these initial projects, Mr. Mihaiu added a number of new port guide clients over the years and his custom handbooks, directories, magazines and websites created on their behalf have won a number of awards of excellence for his clients and created significant new revenue streams from client information assets. Included among the titles he's produced are:

• AAPA'S SEAPORTS OF THE AMERICAS DIRECTORY (1994-2006)
• AAPA SEAPORTS MAGAZINE (2003-2006)
• THE PORT OF LOS ANGELES SHIPPING HANDBOOK (1994-2006)
• THE PORT EVERGLADES GUIDE & FACILITIES DIRECTORY (1997-2006)
• THE PORT OF MIAMI OFFICIAL DIRECTORY (2005-2006)
• THE GEORGIA PORTS AUTHORITY PORTS GUIDE & DIRECTORY (2004-2006)
• THE PORT OF OAKLAND MARITIME DIRECTORY (2005-2006)
• THE JAXPORT MAGAZINE & THE JAXPORT DIRECTORY (Port of Jacksonville, 2005-2006)

In May 2004, Commonwealth Business Media, Inc., the major trade and transportation industry publishing company best known as publisher of THE JOURNAL OF COMMERCE, bought out Mr. Mihaiu and his Compass North America, Inc. port publishing business, retaining him as group publisher under a two-year transition contract to create and build CBM's SEAPORTS Publications Group custom publishing division. During his two years with CBM, Mr. Mihaiu tripled the new group's revenues from print and online projects and positioned the new SEAPORTS Publications group as the leading custom publisher in the port and maritime industry. In May 2006, despite several offers from CBM to remain with SEAPORTS Group, Mr. Mihaiu elected to leave at the end of his two-year contract to take some well-deserved time off to spend with family.

In 2007, he eventually decided to seek out new professional challenges through his current dba GMStrategic, which has lead to his new endeavors as publisher of local Fort Lauderdale magazines, e-newsletters and custom communications programs for civic organization clients. After several years of publishing RIO VISTA and SEABREEZES, the official newsletter programs (in print and online) for several Fort Lauderdale neighborhoods, he was selected as publisher of GO RIVERWALK Magazine by prestigious civic development organization The Riverwalk Trust and tasked to rebuild the magazine.  He immediately repositioned the magazine as GO RIVERWALK Fort Lauderdale, expanding the scope of its distribution and editorial coverage beyond the downtown area and adding much-needed online and social networking components to the program. 

In late 2011, he formed Fort Lauderdale Media Associates, Inc. with several professional colleagues and was selected by Broward Health, one of the largest hospital/health care systems in the U.S., as publisher of their popular BROWARD HEALTH Magazine, distributed through the Greater Fort Lauderdale area in Broward County, Florida. And in early 2012, at the request of several NE Fort Lauderdale neighborhood groups, he created a new newsmagazine for the affluent NE Fort Lauderdale neighborhods called CITYVIEW, which focuses on the people, politics and business of the NE Fort Lauderdale area.

Prior to founding Compass North America, Inc. in 1993, Mr. Mihaiu's professional background included magazine advertising sales, Yellow Pages advertising sales and sales management experience with the specialty directory divisions of Southwestern Bell, Donnelley and NYNEX.

Originally from River Rouge, Michigan, adjacent to southwest Detroit, George is a 1973 graduate of Michigan State University with a degree in Business Administration. He attended MSU on an NCAA Football scholarship where he played quarterback under legendary coach Duffy Daugherty, lettering in 1970, '71 & '72. He resides in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with his wife, Ann, where his favorite activities include civic and political interests, swimming, reading and volunteer work.