Paula Deen has partnered with private equity firm Najafi Media “to build and grow her business, Paula Deen Ventures.” That new holding company has hired Steven Nanula from Paula Deen Food Company as ceo. The WSJ puts the investment at between $75 million and $100 million. Jahm Najafi says in the announcement, “We know that the enterprise will be successful and valuable, as Paula and her team continue to bring quality products and experiences to her loyal fan base.”
A few days ago, Deen was in Clarence, NY outside of Buffalo to celebrate the opening of her retail headquarters, which houses the Paula Deen Food offices and a retail store for people for her products and foods.
Amazon announced that they are hiring another 2,500 full-time fulfillment center workers in 6 US locations.
The IPBA has picked six candidates to stand for election to their board in March: Brenda Avadian, North Star Books; Jim Milliot, Publishers Weekly; Shannon Okey, Cooperative Press; Rob Price, Price World Publishing; Mark Suchomel, Legato Publishers Group; and Brooke Warner, She Writes Press.