The Quarto Group Acquires Harvard Common Press

Yesterday The Quarto Group, a global illustrated book publisher, announced its acquisition of The Harvard Common Press (HCP), an independent cookbook and childcare publisher based in Beverly, MA. HCP will become a new imprint under the Quarto umbrella, adding hundreds of titles to the Quarto backlist and expanding the publisher’s footprint in the culinary category.

“The acquisition presents enormous potential for the Harvard Common Press,” says Adam Salomone, associate publisher at HCP who will take on an advisory role at Quarto. “Quarto is an international publishing company with the resources and reach to sell HCP titles into new markets and channels.”

Along with wider distribution Salomone adds that working with Quarto will open new avenues to monetize HCP content. For example, Quarto’s co-edition program, which licenses backlist titles to third-party publishers, may utilize HCP titles. “Based on the conversations we've had with [Quarto], they are going to pursue a range of these sorts of opportunities,” says Salomone.

Book Business interviewed Salomone and president and publisher Bruce Shaw (also joining Quarto in an advisory role) in 2014 about the unique business opportunities the two have pursued in the area of food tech. Shaw and Salomone launched a separate business in 2010 investing in food startups like Yummly and Caviar and in 2013 launched The Food Loft, a coworking space in Boston for food-centered startups. Salomone explains that Quarto has not acquired the investment business or coworking space, as these businesses have always been separate from HCP.

“Over the past five years, we've spent considerable time balancing the work of running Harvard Common Press with sourcing, investing, and working with food tech entrepreneurs. With the sale of HCP, we can now devote even more time and attention to our investments. We have a number of initiatives underway that complement this work, including the continued growth of The Food Loft,” says Salomone.

Read the full press release below.

Beverly, MA -- Quarto Publishing Group USA, part of The Quarto Group, the leading global illustrated book publisher, is pleased to announce the successful acquisition of The Harvard Common Press, an independent publisher primarily focused on cooking and childcare. The purchase, which was completed on February 1, 2016, adds hundreds of titles to the Quarto backlist as well as over 25,000 recipes. The acquisition furthers Quarto's position as a leading publisher of lifestyle-oriented titles for consumer markets.

The Harvard Common Press will become an imprint of Quarto Publishing Group, with editorial and production operations running out of Quarto's Beverly, MA, office. Dan Rosenberg, editorial director for Harvard Common Press, will be joining the Quarto team in the same role. Bruce Shaw, President and Publisher, and Adam Salomone, Associate Publisher for HCP, will also remain in advisory roles with Quarto.

Ken Fund, President & CEO of Quarto Publishing Group USA said: "We're excited to bring The Harvard Common Press into the Quarto family of publishers. Quarto is focused on acquiring niche imprints or businesses that align with our vision to publish books that inspire, educate, create or entertain. We continue to look for acquisitions in these categories and this has accelerated since the successful launch of QuartoKnows.com in 2015. The addition of Harvard Common Press's award-winning cookbooks will nicely expand Quarto's footprint in the culinary category."

Bruce Shaw, President and Publisher of The Harvard Common Press commented: "I'm pleased to have The Harvard Common Press under the umbrella of a large global publisher that recognizes the strengths of individual, focused imprints and that is also committed to category publishing. Over the past 35 years, HCP has become widely recognized by both consumers and media as a go-to resource for home cooks. Quarto recognizes HCP's strategic value and the opportunity to further expand the reach of HCP titles and authors both domestically and globally."

About Quarto Publishing Group USA
Quarto Publishing Group USA is the US-based division of the leading global illustrated book publisher The Quarto Group. Known for its high-quality books and gifts for enthusiasts, Quarto Publishing Group USA encompasses Book Sales, Cool Springs Press, Creative Publishing international, Fair Winds Press, Moondance Press, Motorbooks, Quarry Books, Race Point Publishing, Rock Point Gift and Stationery, Rockport Publishers, Seagrass Press, Voyageur Press, Walter Foster Publishing, Walter Foster Jr., Wellfleet Press and Zenith Press, as well as the distribution service QDS.

About The Harvard Common Press
Founded in 1976, The Harvard Common Press is highly regarded for its award-winning line of cooking and childcare titles. With such brands as the Not Your Mother's series of cookbooks, Cheryl & Bill Jamison's bestselling Smoke & Spice, and the widely acclaimed Nursing Mother's Companion, HCP has cultivated a reputation for developing market-leading brands in nonfiction publishing.