Capen Publishing Buys Six Imprints from Southwestern Family of Companies

Southwestern Family of Companies (SWFC) has sold it trade publishing imprints to Capen Publishing Company (CPC). The six imprints involved in the sale—Favorite Recipes Press, Quail Ridge Press, Beckon Books, Blue Sneaker Press, Greenwich Publishing, and Historic Hospitality Books—have published about 2,000 titles, many in cooperation with international corporations, nonprofit groups, and historic sites. CPC will also continue to comanage a book publishing partnership with the publishing business of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

Capen Publishing is owned by Chris Capen, who had been president of Southwestern Publishing House since January 1, 2016, after joining the company in 2008. During his time there, he expanded the publishing business from just Favorite Recipes Press by acquiring Quail Ridge Press, Historic Hospitality Press, and Greenwich Publishing, and launching Beckon Books and Blue Sneaker Press. With the completion of the deal, the imprints will be based in San Diego. Distribution is handled by CPC's sales and marketing group, which is headed by Bill O’Donnell. As per a licensing agreement with SWFC, CPC will operate as Southwestern Publishing House until early 2024, when a rebrand of CPC will be announced.

SWFC will continue to work with CPC to publish the educational materials that are sold through Southwestern Advantage, including its newest title, Journey into the Wild: Celebrating Nature’s Best Photography. SWFC will also maintain the Southwestern Books imprint, and will continue to expand its product offerings focusing primarily on business, transformational sales, leadership, and personal development products.

“This is a very exciting opportunity for CPC, for our partners, for our leadership team, and for me personally,” said Capen in a statement. “Our team has been working together now for over 25 years. We are passionate about the subjects we publish and the communities we serve. Our books have engaged, entertained, and educated millions of readers on a wide variety of subjects thanks to our many publishing partners.”