Quarto Publishing Group, the U.K. publisher with numerous operations in the U.S., including becker&meyer, Burgess Lea Press, Harvard Common Press, Rockport Publishers, Walter Foster Publishing, among others, reported "encouraging" results in the first six months of the year, but has cut an unknown number of jobs and is closing its office in Minneapolis, Minn. as well as shutting down Voyageur Press, the Bookseller reported.
Quarto acquired Voyageur Press in 2007 when it bought Motorbooks International, then with headquarters in St. Paul, Minn. (Motorbooks had bought Voyageur in 2005 and also owned Zenith Press.) According to Quarto, Voyageur Press has focused on books that "illuminate, inform, and instruct on self-sufficiency, country life, American food and drink, popular science, regional travel, and music and popular culture."
Quarto's offices in Beverly, Mass., New York City, Seattle, Wash., and Lake Forest, Calif., remain open.
During the first half of the year, Quarto's U.S. publishing revenue was up 9% while its overall revenue rose 12%, to $56.2 million.
"The reorganization is intended to improve the company's financial position and operational performance," a Quarto spokesperson said. The company is also doing "a thorough review of key areas of expenditure including but not limited to, pre-publication expenditure, occupancy costs, payroll and discretionary expenditure" so that there will be "a right-sizing of the Group; a path to sustainable debt reduction; a focus on our core strengths; and a disciplined business model."
Quarto ownership and management has been on a roller-coaster ride recently. In May, there was a stockholder revolt, much of which had to do with the company's significant amount of debt. Quarto CEO Marcus Leaver resigned. At the same time, Quarto co-founder Laurence Orbach, who had been ousted as a director in 2012, returned to the company as executive chairman--until he left in July. Orbach owns 20% of the company and Chuk Kin Lau of the Lion Rock printing company owns 27%.