Simon & Schuster – which last August was sold to the investment company KKR – has acquired Veen Bosch & Keuning, the largest Dutch book publisher. The acquisition includes all of VBK’s brands in the Netherlands and Belgium, as well as its sister companies, audiobook producer Thinium and Bookchoice, an e-book and audiobook subscription platform. Financial terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed and are still subject to review.
This is the first step taken by S&S after its acquisition by KKR. It is also the first time that S&S has acquired a non-English speaking company, which will give the company a new position in the European market.
“In discussions with VBK about a possible collaboration, we immediately realized that as publishers we share the same values and have the same way of working,” said Jonathan Karp, CEO of S&S, in a statement. «Our common goal is to expand the audience of our authors and their books in an increasingly international publishing sector. “We are very excited about the growth opportunities for VBK.”
VBK CEO Geneviève Waldmann will continue to lead the publishing house and is also expected to join the S&S management team. “We would like to offer our writers a broader and more international platform,” she said in a statement.
In addition, VBK, Thinium and Bookchoice will remain Dutch companies, based in Amsterdam, Utrecht, Weesp and Antwerp, and all employees will remain after the acquisition, the companies have stated. VBK has about 280 employees and publishes approximately 1,500 titles a year.
