CJK Group, the Brainerd, Minn.–based printing and publishing services company, has acquired the assets of Allen Press, located in Lawrence, Kan. Allen will become part of CJK’s Sheridan print group.
Allen was founded in 1935, and now comprises a variety of editorial, production, marketing, and digital services for independent society and association publishers. With the acquisition, Allen’s print facility will be renamed Sheridan Kansas, bringing the number of Sheridan’s print locations across the country to 10. The plant offers offset and digitally printing capabilities, with a complement of finishing equipment as well as back issue fulfillment, warehousing, and ancillary graphics services. CJK noted that the plant’s central U.S. location gives Sheridan another option for reaching Midwest and West Coast publishers more efficiently.
Allen’s suite of publishing services and technology solutions will be incorporated into CJK’s KnowledgeWorks Global Ltd. operation, which currently includes peer review and editorial office management, business consulting, AI-powered language analysis and copyediting, XML composition and proofing, digital and print production, and online hosting. The addition of Allen will add marketing services, advertising sales, and association management for scholarly publishers to that suite of services.
“Allen Press has long held a unique and highly respected place in the print and publishing market, offering exceptional front-end capabilities as well as creative and marketing solutions, in addition to high-quality print and distribution,” said Chris Kurtzman, CEO of CJK in a statement. “We see this as a perfect fit for both our Sheridan and KGL families.”
The purchase of Allen continues the CJK Group’s rollup of printing and publishing services companies. Its acquisitions include the July 2020 purchase of the assets of Quad/Graphics’ Versailles, Ky., book manufacturing facility (now know as Sheridan Kentucky) and the 2019 acquisition of the assets of Dexter, Mich.–based printer Thomson-Shore.
