Insiders at Australian-based publisher Hardie Grant Publishing Group have bought back all of the shares held in the company by Associated Media Investments, leaving the publishing team in full control of the publisher. Hardie Grant was founded in 1997 by Fiona Hardie and Sandy Grant, with financial backing from AMI.
In addition to the shares owned by members of the Hardie-Grant family, company managing director Julie Pinkham and publishing veteran Ian Webster have acquired a stake in the publisher. The buyout, Hardie Grant said in a release, secures “the company’s commitment to being an independent, Australian-owned business.” Pinkman continues as managing director, and has joined the company's board, as has Webster.
With a staff of 200 and sales of more than A$100 million, Hardie Grant has overseas offices in London and San Francisco. Its titles are distributed by Chronicle Books in the U.S.
“We have seen really exciting growth in Australia, the U.K. and U.S. in the last few years and are expanding our marketing services and media portfolio steadily,” Sandy Grant said in a statement. “The ownership won’t change our trajectory, but confirms our long-term commitment to our existing strategies.”
