ASHLAND, Ohio, Aug. 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Bendon, Inc. today announced the acquisition of Dalmatian Press, LLC (“Dalmatian”) from its parent company Anderson Press Incorporated. The acquisition of Dalmatian by Bendon, which is owned by the Wicks Group and management, creates one of the largest producers of children’s educational coloring and activity products in the United States. The terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Dalmatian produces and sells consumable early childhood development, coloring and activity products at opening price points across various retail channels in the United States. Dalmatian has a marquee portfolio of licenses as well as a strong non-branded product line dominated by activity-based items.

Ben Ferguson, CEO of Bendon, said: “We have always been impressed with every aspect of Dalmatian’s business and we are very excited to add their creative portfolio and talented team to the Bendon family. This acquisition immediately strengthens our product offerings and significantly broadens our distribution footprint. Without a doubt, together with Dalmatian, we are in a position to provide more value to our retail partners, licensors and customers. We look forward to growing our business as we leverage the combination of our entrepreneurial spirit and Dalmatian’s creative edge.”

“We are very excited about the Bendon and Dalmatian combination. We believe that industry consolidation is positive and inevitable given the desire to support our customers’ growth ambitions. This transaction is a critical step in accelerating this process. The combined business will be the best of breed in the industry, with a strong management team from both organizations and a significant opportunity to grow. Dalmatian’s core strengths perfectly complement and enhance Bendon’s capabilities. Our strategic focus for Bendon has been to grow scale and become the premiere player in our space. Dalmatian doubles the size of Bendon and creates a clear leader within the value segment of children’s coloring and activity market. ” said Daniel L. Black, Managing Partner at the Wicks Group.

Golenbock Eiseman Assor Bell & Peskoe, LLP served as legal counsel to Bendon on the transaction. AMR International served as industry advisors on the transaction.

About The Wicks Group of Companies (www.wicksgroup.com)

Wicks is a New York-based private equity firm that invests in selected segments of the information, education, and media industries. The firm currently invests in educational content and services, database and information services, marketing services, consumer publishing, medical information services, radio and television broadcasting, and other traditional media.

About Bendon (www.bendonpub.com)

Based in Ashland, Ohio, Bendon is a leading designer and publisher of children’s activity books and other educational products. The company has a licensed portfolio of the world’s most popular children’s characters and brands. Bendon sells more than 100 million units per year in more than 65,000 retail outlets in North America. By the end of this year, the company expects to ship its billionth book.

About Dalmatian (www.dalmatianpress.com‎)

Based in Franklin, Tennessee, Dalmatian primarily creates and markets children’s coloring and activity materials, board books, and story books to large retailers and distributors located in the US.

SOURCE The Wicks Group of Companies