Penguin Random House UK has acquired Australia-based publisher Hardie Grant Publishing’s U.K. publishing business, which is comprised of Hardie Grant UK and Quadrille. The publisher will continue to operate as two distinct imprints and will be managed by Joel Rickett, managing director of PRH's Ebury imprint.
The sale of the U.K. division comes a little more than two years after company insiders, including cofounders Fiona Hardie and Sandy Grant, acquired the shares of Associated Media Investments, the financial firm that backed the launch of the publisher. The sale of the U.K. division will have no direct impact on Hardie Grant’s U.S. operation, which is based in San Francisco.
A spokesperson for Hardie Grant North America said the company “will actively sell to all global markets, including the U.K.” PRH, through the existing HGUK team, will take over sales, marketing, and distribution in the U.K. for the U.S. company, which will handle those functions in North America for HGUK.
Prior to the sale of HGUK, Hardie Grant had a total staff of about 200 and sales of more than A$100 million. Its U.S. operation is headed by publisher Jenny Wapner.
