The Quarto Group, Inc. the leading global illustrated book publisher and distribution group, has told DirectorsTalk about the successful acquisition by wholly owned subsidiary Quarto Publishing Group USA of The Harvard Common Press, an independent publisher primarily focused on cooking and childcare.
The purchase, which was completed on 1 February, adds hundreds of titles to the Quarto backlist as well as over 25,000 recipes. The acquisition furthers Quarto’s position as a leading publisher of lifestyle-oriented titles for consumer markets.
Founded in 1976, The Harvard Common Press is highly regarded for its award-winning line of cooking and childcare titles. With such brands as the Not Your Mother’s series of cookbooks, Cheryl & Bill Jamison’s bestselling Smoke & Spice, and the widely acclaimedNursing Mother’s Companion, HCP has cultivated a reputation for developing market-leading brands in nonfiction publishing.
The Harvard Common Press will become an imprint of Quarto Publishing Group, with editorial and production operations running out of Quarto’s Beverly, MA, office. Dan Rosenberg, editorial director for Harvard Common Press, will be joining the Quarto team in the same role. Bruce Shaw and Adam Salomone, Associate Publisher for HCP, will also remain in advisory roles with Quarto.
Ken Fund, President & CEO of Quarto Publishing Group USA, commented:“We’re excited to bring The Harvard Common Press into the Quarto family of publishers. Quarto is focused on acquiring niche imprints or businesses that align with our vision to publish books that inspire, educate, create or entertain. We continue to look for acquisitions in these categories and this has accelerated since the successful launch of QuartoKnows.com in 2015. The addition of Harvard Common Press’s award-winning cookbooks will nicely expand Quarto’s footprint in the culinary category.”
Bruce Shaw, President and Publisher of The Harvard Common Press commented:“I’m pleased to have The Harvard Common Press under the umbrella of a large global publisher that recognizes the strengths of individual, focused imprints and that is also committed to category publishing. Over the past 35 years, HCP has become widely recognized by both consumers and media as a go-to resource for home cooks. Quarto recognizes HCP’s strategic value and the opportunity to further expand the reach of HCP titles and authors both domestically and globally.”
