Washington, DC-area-based Aptara has been acquired for an enterprise value of approximately $150 million by iEnergizer Limited, a public conglomerate listed on the London Stock Exchange, with “wide-ranging investments in business process outsourcing, oil and gas, and real estate.” ($5 million of the purchase price will be held in escrow for 12 months.) iEnergizer is funding the acquision primarily through a new $114 million short-term loan facility. As of a year ago (the end of 2010), Aptara had revenues of $66 million and operating profit of $10.1 million. iEnergizer board chair Sara Latham says in the announcement, “As the only […]
Free
Remembrance: Author Jeff Zaslow, 53
Co-author most recently of Gabrielle Giffords and Mark Kelly’s GABBY: A Story of Courage and Hope, and author of many other bestsellers Jeff Zaslow, 53, died Friday in a car accident in Northern Michigan. He had been at McLean & Eakin Booksellers in Petoskey, MI for an event Thursday night. Zaslow is said to have lost control of his car on a snowy road and was struck by a truck. Best-known for co-authoring THE LAST LECTURE, Zaslow also collaborated with Capt. Chesley (Sully) Sullenberger, and his book THE MAGIC ROOM: A Story About the Love We Wish for Our Daughters […]
People
Perseus Books Group announced what ceo David Steinberger calls “a strategically important new hire that reflects our profound commitment to our people.” Starting today, David Bronstein joins the company in the new position of chief talent officer, reporting to Steinberger. Bronstein has worked previously at Omnicom Media, Universal Music and MTV Networks. HR director Lindsey Pullen will report to Bronstein. He is charged with developing a more systemmatic approach to “attracting, developing and retaining the most capable people at every level of the company,” which currently employees approximately 600 people across all locations. Steinberger says that with “limitless opportunities to […]
People, Etc.
At Dial Books for Young Readers, Kathy Dawson has been promoted to vp, editorial director. Jennifer Gonzalez is joining the Macmillan sales department in the new position of vp, children’s sales, starting March 5 and reporting to president of sales Alison Lazarus. She has been director of sales, mass merchants at Random House, and prior to that she was director of sales, mass market and brand initiatives for Candlewick Press. She will be responsible for all children’s sales from Macmillan Children’s as well as their distributed publishers. Reporting to Gonzalez, Mark Von Bargen is being promoted to senior director, trade sales for […]
Penguin Withdraws From Overdrive; Looks For New Library Partners
Penguin announced late Thursday that as of February 10 (today) it “will no longer offer additional copies of ebooks and audiobooks for purchase via Overdrive” and is severing their ongoing relationship with the vendor. Libraries will continue to have access to titles they have already purchased, and Penguin is negotiating a “continuance agreement” with Overdrive to service the products that have already been sold. The move is an outgrowth of the publisher’s suspension of sales of new titles to libraries in late November. At the time they said that “due to new concerns about the security of our digital editions, we […]
More Briefs: Profits Slide At Bertelsmann, Glad Day Bookshop Finds Buyers
Bertelsmann released preliminary, topline figures for 2011, with their full report due on March 28. Sales from continuing operations nudged up 1 percent, to €15.3 billion, while operating EBIT fell roughly 5 percent, to €1.7 billion. Positive indicators included “rapidly growing e-book sales.” Toronto’s LGBTQ Glad Day Bookshop has secured a future for itself, with news that a group of local supporters have joined together to buy the store. High school teacher Michael Erickson, who led the group of buyers, says that “as individuals, none of us are rich. But collectively, there will be over 20 of us in the […]