HarperCollins to Acquire Thomas Nelson

Posted on November 4, 2011

HarperCollins Publishers has announced that it will acquire religious publisher Thomas Nelson, Inc. The price of the acquisition was not disclosed. The deal expected to close by the end of the year. HarperCollins already owns evangelical Christian publisher Zondervan.

Thomas Nelson publishes a wide range of religious and inspirational content, including books, Bibles, ebooks, journals, audio, video, curriculum and digital apps. It's authors include Billy Graham, Max Lucado, and Dave Ramsey.

Brian Murray, President and CEO of HarperCollins Publishers Worldwide said in a statment: "Founded in 1798 in Edinburgh, Scotland, Thomas Nelson shares a long and rich heritage with both New York's Harper Brothers and Scotland's William Collins & Sons. It is thus with great pleasure that I look forward to welcoming Thomas Nelson to the HarperCollins family." Murray further noted that, "Additionally, Thomas Nelson adds further balance to our existing publishing programs. Its broad inspirational appeal is a good complement to Zondervan, which will continue to publish books consistent with its mission."

Mark Schoenwald, President and CEO of Thomas Nelson, had this to say about the pending acquisition: "We are excited to be joining HarperCollins Publishers. We believe this transaction represents an attractive strategic fit for our company. With HarperCollins' resources and capabilities to draw on, we will capitalize on the many opportunities in this rapidly changing world of publishing."