Dufour Editions will cease its distribution operations on October 1 and transfer its existing distribution business to the Casemate Group. Returns will be accepted until December 31. Dufour Editions will continue to publish under its own imprint, with global distribution to be handled by Casemate. The new agreement with Dufour makes Casemate the largest distributor of Celtic books in North America, and the company said it is adding a digital marketing position to accommodate its new clients.

To date, 15 publishers have transferred from Dufour to Casemate. The publishers join Casemate’s present Irish, Scottish, and Welsh distribution clients. All the new publishers will be in the Casemate group of clients covering history, fiction, religion, current events, poetry, humor, travel, children’s books, and cookbooks. The publishers are: Columba Press (including Currach), Dufour Editions, Eland Publishing, Gill Books (formerly known as Gill & MacMillan and including Collins Press), Goblinshead, Jantar Publishing, Liffey Press, O’Brien Press Ltd. (including Brandon), Papillote Press, Salmon Publishing Ltd., Sandstone Press Ltd., Somerville Press Ltd., Vagabond Voices Publishing, Wordwell Books (including Eastwood), and Y Lolfa.

Dufour, which is based in Chester Springs, Pa., will cease to take orders for the affected lists on October 1, at which point stock will transfer to Books International, Casemate’s warehouse partner in Dulles, Va.

“Based on Casemate’s philosophy, their hands-on level of service including marketing and publicity for their publishing clients, as well as recommendations from existing long-term clients, and their reputation with customers, we felt that Casemate was the right choice for Dufour and our clients,” said Christopher May, managing director of Dufour Editions, in a statement. “There is a like-mindedness that made me feel comfortable and assured that this was the right decision for us.”