The company was founded in 1902 by Miller Freeman, a fishing industry magnate, Republican party activist, and the founder and leader of Washington State's Anti-Japanese League.

Many of its publications were trade and marketing periodicals distributed free to qualified subscribers in specific industries.

[2] In 1991, Miller Freeman Publications merged with Gralla Publications to create Miller Freeman, Inc. Gralla's operations comprised twenty magazines and many trade shows serving markets in the travel, retail, and merchandising arenas.

[2] Subsequent to the acquisition of CMP Media, Miller Freeman later sold CMP UK and France (including rights to CRN in those countries) to VNU, a media holding company based in the Netherlands (later became part of Incisive Media and currently part of The Channel Company, which itself was founded as part of management buyout of UBM Channel, formerly CMP Channel Group).

[16] At the time of divestiture, Miller Freeman assets included 81 magazines, 59 trade shows and related conferences and exhibitions, and various Web sites in five major categories: real estate and construction, sports & apparel, jewelry and gifts, travel and Latin America.