In a deal that gives a major boost to its trade business, the Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group has acquired Globe Pequot Press from parent company Morris Communications. The purchase, which was completed May 22, adds approximately 2,500 titles and $20 million in sales to R&L. “It’s a great fit,” R&L CEO Jed Lyons said of the Globe Pequot purchase, noting that both R&L’s trade operations and Globe Pequot’s list focus on regional titles. The addition of Globe Pequot will result in R&L publishing several hundred regional titles annually, Lyons estimated.
Globe Pequot’s main editorial office in Guilford, Ct. and a smaller office in Helena, Mt. will remain open and Alex Merrill, Globe Pequot managing director, will continue to oversee the business. The back office operation, particularly its Tennessee distribution facility, will be consolidated into that of R&L by the end of the summer. R&L’s sister company, National Book Network, will take over sales and distribution of Globe Pequot titles, and those of its 18 distribution clients, effective August 1. Morris is retaining ownership of its Milepost, Skirt, Pop Out, and Western Horseman Books imprints as well as its U.K-based Footprint Guides. Distribution for those imprints will move to NBN in August as well.
Globe Pequot was one of New England’s largest independent presses, publishing under the Lyons Press, Falcon Guides, Knack, Two Dot, and Insiders’ Guide imprints as well as the flagship Globe Pequot banner. Morris acquired Globe Pequot in 1997. The acquisition will triple the number of trade titles published by R&L and will complement the company’s academic and professional publishing businesses.
