Yesterday The Quarto group announced the acquisition of Ivy Press for £1.3m, as well as taking on £200,000 of debt.

The Quarto Group is the leading global illustrated book publisher and distribution group and is listed on the London Stock Exchange. Quarto employs about 400 people across four distinct but complementary businesses.

The Ivy Press has gained worldwide renown for its original titles and high-quality editorial, design and production values. Ivy’s titles have gone from strength to strength in the international co-edition markets, with over 2.5 million copies of the 30-Second Series now in print in 23 languages.

Commenting on the acquisition, Marcus Leaver, Chief Executive Officer of Quarto, said:

“We are delighted to welcome the Ivy team to The Quarto Group. We have long admired their creativity and innovation. Ivy’s presence will further underline our Quarto International Co-Editions division as the market leader. Further, we are pleased that Jenny Manstead, one of Ivy’s co-founders, is returning to Quarto after spending time with us earlier in her career.”

Jenny Manstead, co-founder of Ivy Press, said:

“This is exactly the right move for Ivy at the right time. Becoming part of Quarto gives us a solid, secure platform from which to develop our publishing programme with the right resources and the right support.”