Kalmbach Publishing acquires Discover magazine; Luxembourg firm to acquire HK Systems
Kalmbach Publishing acquires Discover magazine
Waukesha-based Kalmbach Publishing Co. announced that it has agreed to purchase the assets of New York-based Discover Media LLC, including the science and technology magazine Discover and its website, www.DiscoverMagazine.com.
“We’ve taken another strategic step with Discover, a magazine with a solid editorial tradition,” said Gerald Boettcher, president of Kalmbach. “With Discover…we strengthen our leadership position in publishing for the science category.”
Launched in 1980, Discover is published 10 times per year and covers a wide range of science topics.
Discover has annual revenue of $14 million and a total circulation of 700,000.
“The sale of Discover to Kalmbach is a good outcome for our investors and a great outcome for the brand and staff,” said Henry Donahue, CEO and publisher of Discover Media. “As one of Kalmbach’s market-leading brands, Discover is well-positioned to grow and succeed across multiple platforms for a very long time.”
Luxembourg firm to acquire HK Systems
New Berlin-based HK Systems, a developer of automated material handling software and systems used in manufacturing and distribution, will be acquired by Dematic Corp. USA, the U.S. subsidiary of Dematic Holding S.a r.l., a Luxembourg-based firm that specializes in material handling and logistics solutions, both companies announced today.
Dematic’s U.S. operations are based in Grand Rapids, Mich. The acquisition is expected to close in the third quarter of the year. No terms of the transaction were disclosed.
HK Systems has about 1,000 employees. It has about 250 workers in its New Berlin headquarters. The rest of its workforce is based in its operations in Utah, Kentucky, North Carolina and Ontario, Canada.
John Splude, executive chairman of HK Systems, said he believes most of the company’s work force will remain intact.
“One reason they (Dematic) wanted to do this (transaction) was for our employees,” he said. “We’re very confident that this is a good transaction for our customers, our employees and our shareholders. It will make us more responsive, it expands the opportunities for our employees and it’s a good transaction for our investors.”
Dematic wanted to acquire HK Systems to bolster its product offering to its clients, said John Baysore, president and CEO of Dematic North America.
“Customers are calling for integrated solutions that enable them to move products and information fast, reliably and efficiently through the supply chain,” he said. “By combining the passion, creativity and technology of two synergistic companies, we will continue to drive innovations that help customers optimize their production and distribution operations.”
